A recent report from Bloomberg shows that Sony is being forced to continue its PS4 production because of the global PS5 shortage. The company hopes by continuing to manufacture PS4’s, they can “fill the supply vacuum and keep gamers within the PlayStation ecosystem.”
According to Bloomberg, Sony initially planned to “discontinue assembly at the end of 2021” but has recently informed their assembly partners that they wish to continue producing PS4s for the rest of 2022. This plan will see the company create about 1 million new PS4s in order to aid in the current PS5 supply issue. The next-gen consoles have suffered from shortages since their release due to a global chip supply issue which is predominantly the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has impacted a myriad of tech companies who are all suffering from similar shortages.
While Sony is still working out the exact number of PS4s to produce based on demand, the company says the last-gen console is a good option because it “uses less advanced chips, is simpler to make and provides a budget-friendly alternative to the PS5.” Increasing their supply of PS4s will also allow Sony “more leeway when negotiating with manufacturing partners for a better deal.”
A Sony spokesperson said on the continued production of the PS4, “It is one of the best-selling consoles ever and there is always crossover between generations.”
The PS5 was originally released worldwide on November 12, 2020, the same month as Microsoft’s next-gen console the Xbox Series S/X. The console has done incredibly well despite shortages with Sony crossing 13.4 million units sold in October 2021. The releases of games such as Ratched & Clank: Rift Apart, Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut, and Death Stranding Director’s Cut have only helped to elevate sales of the console.
While PS5 shortages are likely to continue into 2023, hopefully, supply is able to at least marginally improve. There are plenty of exciting next-gen games to look forward to this year.
