A Bloomberg report from earlier this year claimed Sony intended to manufacturer only a select number of PlayStation 5 units in the console’s first year to market. Reportedly, that number sat somewhere between five to six million units by the end of this fiscal year in March 2021. Due to concerns regarding a second wave of coronavirus, the manufacturer estimates more people will be left at home, leaving them in want of new entertainment. Thus, a demand for gaming may surge quite drastically. Sony, then, aims to increase its PlayStation 5 output to 10 million units this year.
Sources reportedly familiar with Sony’s operations told Bloomberg that despite this revised plan, the company may still struggle to bring all 10 million consoles to market. Shipping constraints appear to be the primary reason, since a majority of PlayStation consoles are made in China, then shipped to North America and Europe via ocean lines. Bloomberg notes Nintendo previously had trouble restocking the Switch earlier in the year for this very reason.
Apparently, Sony aims to increase its output of DualSense controllers as well. The company previously ordered 10 million of the devices. Now suppliers are being informed to boost production to match that of the revised PS5 production numbers.
According to Bloomberg’s sources, mass production on the next-gen console kicked off in June. Should all go well, Sony anticipates five million PS5s will have rolled off the assembly line by the time September ends. At this rate, another five million should be assembled between the months of October and December.
Bloomberg points out that logistical delays still wouldn’t guarantee all 10 million units hit stores by year’s end. One suggestion is air travel for shipping purposes, as was the case with the PlayStation 4’s launch in 2013. However, coronavirus has hindered airlines in recent months; Sony would unlikely be able to secure the flights necessary.
PlayStation 5 is slated to hit stores sometime this holiday season.
[Source: Bloomberg]
