TOKYO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Sony ( SONY ) raised its

full-year operating profit forecast on Thursday by 4% to 1.33

trillion yen ($9.01 billion), citing a diminished impact from

U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war.

Sony ( SONY ) sees a tariff impact of 70 billion yen, compared to 100

billion yen forecast in May. It said the estimated impact is

based on tariff rates as of August 1 and said the situation

remained fluid.

Japanese companies such as Honda Motor have trimmed

their expected hit from tariffs amid a reduction in uncertainty

with Japan striking a trade deal with the U.S. last month.

Sony ( SONY ) was once well known as a maker of household electronics

such as the "Walkman" portable cassette player but has become an

entertainment giant spanning games, movies and music as well as

a leading maker of image sensors for smartphones.

Sony ( SONY ) reported a 36.5% rise in operating profit to 340

billion yen for the April-June quarter, beating the 288 billion

yen average of eight analyst estimates compiled by LSEG.

Sony ( SONY ) sold 2.5 million PlayStation 5 game consoles in the

first quarter, a 4% rise compared to the same period a year

earlier.

The console industry was set to receive a boost this year

from the launch of "Grand Theft VI" but the latest addition to

the popular series has been delayed to 2026.

Nintendo, which is seen as a potential

beneficiary of GTA 6's delay, last week reported robust early

demand for its new Switch 2 gaming device.

Elsewhere in the conglomerate, Sony ( SONY ) is preparing to cut its

stake in its financial unit to less than 20% through a partial

spin-off, with the business to list in Tokyo on September 29.

($1 = 147.5700 yen)