Sony forms new PlayStation Studios Mobile Division for mobile games

Sony has officially formed a new PlayStation division that will exclusively focus on mobile games.

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Today Sony announced its new PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, a segment that will be devoted to releasing--you guessed it--mobile games based on big PlayStation franchises. The new division will include Sony's latest studio acquisition Savage Game Studios, who is working on an "unannounced AAA live service action game." It's worth noting that Savage had received funding in 2021 for a more casual-based mobile shooter game.

PlayStation Worldwide Studios boss Hermen Hulst promises that mobile games will be additive to Sony's overall gaming focus. That's the message that Sony has relayed to investors, too: In a 2022 presentation, Sony said it plans to spark "significant growth of PC and mobile within our portfolio," with mobile accounting for roughly 10% of game releases in FY22. By 2025, Sony expects mobile to make up 20% of its game releases.

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In 2021, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan told Axios that it would be "perverse" not to expand PlayStation onto mobile: "The thinking here is that our IP portfolio is in such a strong state right now, it seems perverse to restrict enjoyment of it to our existing PlayStation community."

"The content developed by PlayStation Studios these past 25 years has created a wealth of IP and provided PlayStation with immersive experiences that evoke emotions and bring players on a journey. We have been thinking about how players enjoy our content and have had some early success with experimenting with mobile games and apps to provide more choice to gamers," Ryan told investors during a May 2021 investors call.

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Sony has also said in the past that its mobile initiatives will be led by Fate Grand Order developer Lasengle, and for good reason: Fate Grand Order has generated over $4 billion since release.

Here's what Hulst said in a recent PlayStation Blog update:

"Our mobile gaming efforts will be similarly additive, providing more ways for more people to engage with our content, and striving to reach new audiences unfamiliar with PlayStation and our games. Savage Game Studios is joining a newly created PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, which will operate independently from our console development and focus on innovative, on-the-go experiences based on new and existing PlayStation IP."