Following yesterday’s report that Sony is set to end production of several PlayStation 4 models, the company has confirmed that it’s ceasing production of all but one models in Japan.
First reported by Japanese site GAME Watch (translation via Gematsu), the only PS4 model that Sony will continue to manufacture is the Jet Black 500 GB Slim. This means that all other Slim models and all PS4 Pro models will no longer be produced. The original launch PS4 was discontinued some time ago. Sony has said that it’ll utilize the production lines to produce the PS5, which is in shortage in Japan along with the rest of the world.
At the moment, it’s unclear what Sony’s plans are for other countries. The company has production facilities in multiple locations outside of Japan, but it hasn’t made any announcement for other regions. However, there are speculations that the PS4 Pro is being (or has been) discontinued in the West as well because a notice on the console’s PlayStation Direct page mentioned that it will no longer be in stock. Curiously, that message was removed when it made it into the news, but the PS4 Pro remains unavailable for purchase.
Sony previously acknowledged that it received unprecedented demand for the PS5. The shortage was made worse by scalpers who snagged thousands of consoles to resell them for ludicrous prices. Neither the company nor retailers were able to tackle the issue, but for its part, Sony promised to ramp up production as the Covid-19 pandemic rages on and continues to cause disruption.
We’ll update our readers if Sony makes an official announcement regarding PS4 production in other regions.
[Source: GAME Watch via Gematsu]
