PlayStation 5 production to be limited at launch due to high costs, suggests report

PS5 to see fewer launch units than PS4

A new report from business news outlet Bloomberg suggests that Sony plan to produce only a limited supply of PlayStation 5 units for the console’s first year of launch, “far fewer” than that of PlayStation’s previous generations.

The report, which Bloomberg attributes to insiders, cites that a powerful and expensive internal composition – and therefore a loftier price tag – is the reason for the smaller production run, commenting that “game developers” are predicting the PS5 to retail for between $499 and $549 at launch. Around five million consoles are expected to be produced for the fiscal year ending March 2021. By comparison, the PS4 shipped 7.5 million consoles in its first half-year.

While it would seem obvious to point to the ongoing COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic as a reason for the limited release, Bloomberg’s sources say that global health concerns have only affected Sony’s PS5 marketing plans. Production will go ahead as scheduled, in its originally expected capacity, with no last-minute delays on the horizon.

The report also states that Sony plans to further promote its current hardware, PlayStation 4, as a “bridge” to the next generation. It is suggested that Sony will drop the price of the PS4 and the PS4 Pro at the PS5’s launch in order to encourage new PlayStation Plus subscriptions.

Of course, the key words here are “suggested” and “predicted,” It’s worth noting that none of this has been officially announced. Business – all business – is in a completely fragile state right now, with production, marketing, distribution, retail, and overall economic issues worldwide. So, although there is probable truth in elements of this report, the industry as a whole is currently at its most unpredictable.

PlayStation 5 is scheduled to launch Holiday 2020.

Sony plans limited PlayStation 5 output in first year [Bloomberg]