Editor's take: Sony tightened its grip on this generation's console war, with PlayStation 5 sales soaring to over 75 million. Meanwhile, Xbox Series X|S sales remain somewhat stagnant at 28.3 million units. Substantial gaming revenue helped prop up weaker performances in Sony's film and financial services divisions, keeping the company solid. Sony's third-quarter earnings for fiscal year 2024 look great, largely thanks to the PlayStation 5's continued success. The PS5 had its best-ever holiday period in 2024, shipping 9.5 million units only a hair behind PlayStation 4's best quarter in FY2017. With total shipments topping 75 million, the PS5 is closing in on the PS4's 76.5 million units set at the same stage of its lifecycle. Sony has shipped 15.7 million PS5 consoles so far this fiscal year and aims to hit 18 million by the end of March. This surge in hardware sales has driven the company's growth across the board.In fact, Sony posted a solid 18-percent jump in revenue, hitting 4.41 trillion ($28.97 billion US), with operating income creeping up by a percentage point, totaling 469.3 billion ($3.08 billion). As expected, the gaming division is leading the charge, with PlayStation 5 sales continuing to push the momentum, along with boosts from software and PlayStation Network subscriptions. The positive results caused an early morning boost to company shares, rising from $21.97 to $23.91 an 8.8-percent spike.Even though the hardware market has been sluggish, the PlayStation 5 is still going strong. Demand is steady, and Sony has blown past expectations with third-party software sales. The PlayStation Network also beat expectations, hitting 129 million monthly active users up 10 percent from last year. PlayStation Plus growth helped to keep recurring revenue from services solid. The shift to live services and digital games is also helping Sony maintain the lead in the gaming sector.However, it's not all about gaming. Sony Music is doing well, with streaming revenues climbing and some major albums making waves. Conversely, Sony Pictures took a hit. The Hollywood strikes in 2023 caused production delays and fewer big releases in FY2024, so revenue dropped. Thankfully, streaming and licensing deals helped ease the pain.Sony's Imaging & Sensing Solutions segment is holding steady. With smartphone cameras getting more advanced and AI-powered sensors becoming the norm, Sony is still a major player in smartphone supply chains. Unfortunately, its Financial Services division didn't do as well, with a dip in operating income thanks to some of the market turbulence we've seen lately. // Related StoriesLooking ahead, Sony is optimistic. It has raised its forecast for operating profits to 1.34 trillion ($8.7 billion) for the fiscal year ending in March 2025. Sony is driving momentum forward with the PlayStation ecosystem in full swing and a lineup of games set to drop soon. Furthermore, the company appears ready to keep pushing into live-service games, cloud gaming, and acquisitions to stay ahead of the curve. If everything goes according to plan, PlayStation will keep running the show through at least this generation.