Old PlayStation Exclusives Outshine SAROS and Marathon in 2026 Sales Race

Sony’s release strategy has remained relatively robust in recent months, with a steady stream of first- and second-party titles bolstering the PlayStation 5 library. However, despite this consistent output, the company’s newest exclusives appear to be struggling in their quest to capture a broad mainstream audience.

SAROS and Marathon, the titles in question, represent Sony’s most recent high-profile exclusive releases. While it remains difficult to assess whether their sales figures have missed internal targets, particularly in the case of Housemarque’s sci-fi shooter, emerging data suggests that older PlayStation titles are actually enjoying stronger commercial momentum.

Old PS5 Exclusives Are Still Relevant in 2026

According to a report published this week by Rhys Elliott, an analyst at Alinea Analytics, several legacy PS5 exclusives continue to demonstrate remarkable staying power in 2026. It is worth noting that the firm’s figures are estimates and have not been officially confirmed by Sony, yet the overall trend is striking enough to warrant close attention.

Ghost of Yotei, Sucker Punch Productions’ latest samurai epic, has maintained a solid sales trajectory, moving 1.1 million units during the first half of 2026 alone. The title, which launched in October 2025, is now approaching the 5 million copies sold milestone, a commendable feat for a game that has been on the market for less than a year.

Gran Turismo 7 also features prominently near the top of the sales chart. Alinea Analytics estimates that Polyphony Digital’s racing simulator has sold nearly 12 million units to date, with an additional 835,000 copies added in 2026. While promotional discounts have certainly contributed to this performance, Elliott notes that entries in the franchise possess an enduring appeal that keeps them selling consistently over time.

In third place stands MLB The Show 26, the latest iteration of Sony’s popular baseball series. Despite having only launched in March 2026, the title has already racked up 756,000 units sold on PlayStation 5, according to the firm’s data.

Fourth place belongs to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which originally debuted in October 2023. Remarkably, the superhero blockbuster has sold another 699,000 copies in 2026, with the bulk of those sales occurring prior to its February addition to the PS Plus catalog.

Another noteworthy performer is Astro Bot, which secures a healthy fifth position after surpassing 600,000 units sold and generating close to $33 million in revenue this year. Team Asobi’s beloved platformer has now accumulated over 4.3 million lifetime sales.

Are SAROS and Marathon Not Selling Well?

What has drawn the most attention, however, is the placement of SAROS, Sony’s newest first-party release, which sits at a modest sixth on Alinea Analytics’ ranking. The action shooter from Housemarque has moved just 415,000 units to date. While that figure is respectable for a fresh intellectual property from a studio traditionally associated with niche titles, questions linger over whether it aligns with Sony’s broader commercial ambitions.

Elliott had previously indicated that SAROS sold approximately 300,000 copies during its April launch window, generating over $22 million in revenue within its first two weeks. Even so, he characterized the game’s debut as “somewhat slower” than that of Returnal.

Equally telling is the absence of Marathon, Bungie’s extraction shooter, from the top tier of the ranking. The game has faced well-documented difficulties in attracting a dedicated player base and has reportedly fallen short of PlayStation’s performance expectations, though it is worth noting that the report focuses exclusively on PS5 sales and does not account for its performance on PC or Xbox.

Also missing from the upper echelons is God of War: Sons of Sparta, a 2D spin-off from Santa Monica Studio that has not made a significant impact on the charts.

Critics may point to these figures as cause for concern, but a degree of context is essential: older titles frequently benefit from price reductions and promotional events that naturally stimulate demand, whereas newer releases typically command premium pricing.

Let us know, have you picked up SAROS? Let us know in the comments below.

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