Sales forecasts for the PS5 exclusive title "Saros" indicate a financial loss for Sony. Despite its high reputation, the development studio Housemarque thus faces an uncertain future within the corporate structure.
The two-week release period brought the game according to projections The analytics firm Alinea Analytics reports only around 300.000 units sold. According to industry insider Jeff Grubb, this data is considered a realistic estimate in some gaming discussions, as such estimates are seen as the accepted standard in the absence of official publisher announcements. There is no official statement from the studio regarding these figures.
The estimated production budget of approximately US$76 million is thus offset by an estimated revenue of US$22 million, while marketing costs are completely excluded. These are, however, model assumptions based on price/sales estimates.
Since AAA titles like “sarosSince they generate the majority of their revenue directly upon release, they can barely cover the development costs at launch. Furthermore, availability is limited to the PlayStation ecosystem, which maximizes the financial pressure.
The ruthless restructuring program in Tokyo
The management under Sony Interactive Entertainment's new CEO, Hideaki Nishino, operates without sentimental attachment to old brands or traditions, much like Kaz Hirai once did. The planned sale of 51 percent of the long-established Bravia TV division to Chinese competitor TCL in March 2026 demonstrates the rigorous way in which top management is restructuring unprofitable divisions.
When even the core identity of the corporation is sacrificed for the sake of the balance sheet, no development studio is permanently safe from the axe. The closure of Housemarque is a real possibility. The shutdown of remake specialist Bluepoint Games in March 2026 after a failed live-service project demonstrates how swift the process has become when profitability is lacking. Ultimately, even at Sony, it's about numbers, not emotions.
For comparison: According to reliable estimates, Returnal sold around 866.000 copies on the PS5 by the beginning of 2022, not including later PC sales and long-term sales cycles; overall, the industry assumes sales of over one million to a maximum of around two million units over its lifetime, without official confirmation from Sony.
However, the exact number is less important than its context. Despite moderate sales performance, "Returnal" is considered commercially successful enough to keep Housemarque in the PlayStation first-party portfolio long-term and secure the studio's continued development. In comparison, the rumored 300.000 units sold for "Saros" during its early launch window seem significantly lower, although this comparison is only partially reliable due to differing market phases, hardware bases, and release contexts.
The limits of clear-cutting
The automatic demise of the studio is therefore not a mathematical inevitability. After the devastating blows at Bluepoint Games and Dark Outlaw Games, management cannot liquidate an unlimited number of studios without completely crippling its own release pipeline for the hardware. Sony needs exclusive content to boost console sales, which is why a hasty sale or closure would jeopardize the entire platform. And this doesn't even take into account the next massive backlash from the remaining core gamers.
Moreover, the financial legacy weighs heavily: In its most recent quarterly report alone, Sony had to at least $560 million in write-offs The losses incurred by the struggling Marathon studio Bungie will have to be recouped elsewhere. Survival now hinges entirely on whether the team already has a new, cost-effective project in production, or whether they can shed this burden in Tokyo if it means an extra 1 yen in profit. The final tally will be at the end of the quarter.
1. Anyone laughing here is disabled. This is about jobs!
2. Saros is top-class but…
3. …far too easy. Returnal stuck in my mind more. Saros already had platinum after 24 hours.
4. Losing Housemarque would be a bitter blow. They are the best when it comes to arcade games and absolutely perfect controls.
5. I would like to see games like Resogun or Dead Nation again. Less risk, but long-term fun.
Saros and Returnal should have been released in the opposite order. Now many are put off by the difficulty level and don't dare to try Saros.
Returnal 2, who seriously wants that?
Who would have thought it? 🤭
Returnal was significantly better. Making it more accessible and easier for the masses was a bad decision.
Dominik Wagner disagrees. Saros is significantly better than Returnal, if only because of the gunplay and the story surrounding the king in yellow. Furthermore, you can make the game very difficult with modifications. This way, every side benefits.
Dominik Wagner and I are among them 🫡 but that doesn't change the fact that I find the story of Returnal weaker. But thankfully, tastes differ.
Don Chico: I agree about the gunplay, but the profound and mysterious storytelling with subtle horror elements was significantly stronger in Returnal. The dialogues in Selene's Isolation were also so great that I was happy to see new audio logs. In Saros, so much felt arbitrary and interchangeable. It also feels unsatisfying to me to make the game unnecessarily difficult. In Returnal, you have no choice, which is a good thing. Only about 10% of players have even seen the true ending, and for me, the journey to the Platinum Trophy was one of the best experiences on the PS5.
The game is great and deserves more attention.
As if a rouge-like look ever was / is / will be suitable for the masses.
Vampire Survivor? Dead Cells? Hades?!
Mischa J. Thie, perhaps I should have included the full price. If the games you mentioned didn't cost between €5 and €20, only hardcore crackers would buy them.
Marcus Kamin Saros was available for less than 60 euros at release.
Christoph Stüdemann, so what's the main point? Are €60 games not full-price titles? Don't the other games mentioned cost only a fraction of that?
Marcus Kamin's full price would be 80 euros. Therefore, the 20 euros for the mentioned titles would also be full-price titles.
Mischa J. Thie: I wouldn't necessarily define it as suitable for the masses. It's an absolutely fantastic game, but rather unattractive to the mainstream.
Hmm? These are precisely the games that brought the genre to the masses 😅. Sales figures are very high. Dead Cells: 10 million copies sold. Hades: 8.3 million copies sold. Vampire: Survivor: 8 million. Current figures for Forza Horizon 6: 1.6 million. Pragmata: around 3 million. Resident Evil 9: 6 million. So… definitely mainstream.
This game is amazing! I reached the final biome after 32 hours. It's incredibly addictive! A true work of art!
Adrien Gyr needed 30 hours.
Adrien Gyr: I got the platinum trophy in the entire game after 21 hours and did everything, even replaying several biomes multiple times, especially the Yellow Shore because of those Halcyon orbs to collect lol
Yes, it's a real shame about the title. I've already started playing it, I'm in the second biome now, and I think the game is really good.
Best decisions with the console exclusive releases <3
And the decision to forgo a PC launch.
This will certainly be good for the studio; the next ones can go straight to the employment office.
: )
Honestly, they should shut down the studio. Sure, Soro's gameplay is fun, but somehow I get the impression that Housemarque can't do anything else. And I don't know if I personally need a third game. If they have to pad out the game with a hard difficulty level because it offers no other content, then for me, the series has no future. If they wanted to reach a wider audience with Returnal, they could have implemented a flexible difficulty level there. They didn't need a new game that just has different color grading and is easier. Maybe they should have made a completely new IP.
They always do the same stuff anyway.
But the main thing is no PC release. XD. Well, that's how it goes.