Ghost of Yotei Becomes PS5’s Biggest First-Party Launch Since Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The launch of Ghost of Yotei on PS5 has been the strongest first-party release since Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, according to sales estimates from analyst Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics. His report indicates that the game sold over 1.6 million copies at launch.
While these numbers are slightly below those of Ghost of Tsushima, which reached 2 million copies sold in its first three days, the difference must be viewed in context — particularly considering the PS4’s much larger install base at the time.
At that point, Sony’s previous flagship console had an installed base of around 110 million units, compared to roughly 80 million PlayStation 5 consoles today. The earlier success of Ghost of Tsushima was also influenced by the lockdown period, which boosted overall game sales.
Financial Success and Development Costs
With around $100 million in revenue, Ghost of Yotei managed to recover its development costs just two days after launch — a rare achievement among modern AAA productions.
In Japan, Ghost of Yotei is reportedly selling extremely well, and the numbers for this PlayStation exclusive look highly promising. About 77% of sales are digital, player engagement is notably high (30% of users played more than 20 hours within the first week), and the overall production budget was modest at about $60 million.
Overall, the game reinforces PlayStation’s winning formula — delivering high-quality, narrative-driven single-player experiences with consistent intellectual properties and well-managed production costs.
