Record-Breaking Viewership for Sony’s June 2025 State of Play

The June 2025 State of Play broadcast set a new record for Sony, reaching over 2.2 million concurrent viewers—the highest in the series’ history. This milestone highlights the increasing popularity of Sony’s showcases and the growing excitement surrounding upcoming gaming releases.

Exciting Announcements Ahead of Summer Games Fest Week

Starting the summer with a bang, Sony unveiled a diverse lineup of upcoming titles designed to excite gamers ahead of the Summer Games Fest Week. Fans were treated to sneak peeks of highly anticipated games such as 007 First Light, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Romeo is a Dead Man, and Silent Hill f. These reveals hint at an exciting season filled with innovative gameplay and compelling storylines.

Record Viewership and Ranking Among Gaming Events

According to data from Streams Charts, this State of Play broadcast reached a peak of over 2.2 million live viewers, marking the first time in the series’ history that it surpassed this number. Currently, it ranks as the third most-watched gaming or tech showcase of 2025, trailing only Nintendo Direct presentations—most notably, the Switch 2 reveal, which drew significantly larger audiences.

Comparison with Previous Sony Livestreams

While the June 2025 State of Play broke records for viewership, it is not Sony’s most-watched livestream ever. That distinction belongs to the PlayStation 5 reveal event, which amassed around 44 million views. Other highly popular presentations include the Horizon Forbidden West and Horizon Forbidden Dawn showcases, which attracted 15 million and 10 million viewers, respectively. Nonetheless, the June broadcast remains the most-watched State of Play in history.

Focus on Third-Party and Japanese Developers

Unlike some past showcases, this presentation emphasized third-party titles, especially those from Japanese developers. Notable companies such as Capcom, Grasshopper Manufacture, Konami, ArtPlay, Square Enix, and Team Ninja delivered major announcements. Interestingly, the lineup featured relatively few first-party Sony titles, suggesting a focus on diverse collaborations and external studios.

A Showcase for Hardcore Gamers

This year’s summer presentation appeared tailored toward dedicated gamers, with a noticeable emphasis on action-packed titles. Many of these upcoming games are expected to carry mature or 18+ ratings, indicating a focus on intense gameplay experiences suitable for seasoned players.

Catch Up on All Announcements

If you missed the live event or want a full rundown of everything announced, plenty of resources are available to keep you up-to-date. Stay tuned for detailed summaries and analyses of the showcased titles and upcoming releases.

About the Author

Vikki Blake is a seasoned journalist, critic, columnist, and consultant with over 15 years of experience working with leading gaming publications. She’s a dedicated fan of the Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hill, Legend, and High Chaos universes. Follow her insights and updates on her BlueSky profile.