Sony Gives An Update On PlayStation 5 Supply, And It Doesn't Sound Good For Gamers
For those hopeful that Sony would get a firm grasp on supply issues leading into the second half of 2021, we have some disappointing news for you. In guidance to analysts, Sony confirmed that the PlayStation 5 would be in short supply for the remainder of 2021 and possibly even through 2022.
"I don't think demand is calming down this year, and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldn't be able to catch up with demand," said Sony Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki as reported by Bloomberg.
Sony would love to ramp up production so that it could produce enough PlayStation 5 consoles to satisfy demand, but the global chip shortage has, of course, affected its supply chain. That heavy burden is putting strain on multiple industries, not just the gaming sector. Console demand, in particular, has been exceedingly high due to the COVID-19 and the work/learn-from-home wave that swept many countries.
"We have sold more than 100 million units of the PlayStation 4, and considering our market share and reputation, I can't imagine demand dropping easily," Totoki added.
Sony sold 7.8 million PlayStation 5 consoles as of March 31st and is forecasting at least 14.8 million units for its current fiscal year. At this rate, the PlayStation 5 is on track to at least match the performance of its PlayStation 4 predecessor, if not exceed it.
We reported late last week that Sony is already working on a hardware refresh for the PlayStation 5 that will use TSMC's enhanced 6nm process node. The refreshed console is reportedly on track for release during the second half of 2022. While the hardware update isn't expected to bring any performance improvements, it should reduce power consumption and provide manufacturing cost savings for Sony.
