Sony reported a 24% increase in quarterly profit due to robust demand for its music and films, prompting the Japanese entertainment and electronics giant to raise its annual sales and profit projections.

Tokyo-based Sony's profit between July and September increased to 264 billion yen (£1.55 billion) from 213 billion yen (£1.25 billion) the previous year.

During the pandemic, people who were confined to their homes tended to turn to video games and movies. Sony manufactures PlayStation consoles and also provides online gaming.

During the second quarter of the April-March fiscal year, Sony shipped 3,3 million PlayStation 5 game consoles.

Despite an increase in quarterly sales, Sony's games division's profit decreased due to higher costs. During the quarter, Sony acquired US video game developer Bungie.

In the music industry, the best-selling albums included Beyonce's Renaissance and Harry Styles' Harry's House. Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt, earned 233 million dollars (£202 million) worldwide.

The imaging and sensor operations of Sony, which also manufactures camcorders and headphones, posted higher quarterly sales and profits.

Sony increased its sales forecast for the fiscal year ending in March 2023 to 11,600,000,000,000,000 yen. In the preceding fiscal year, Sony's sales amounted to 9.9 trillion yen.

Sony is one of Japan's premier brands, having introduced the Walkman portable music player to the world. However, it had modest beginnings in the 1940s, when the nation was rebuilding after the Second World War.

In recent decades, Sony's electronics division has faced stiff competition from less expensive Asian competitors. Former pillars of Sony's power, such as television sales, have declined.