Despite everything, it’s still pretty darn hard to get a PS5. Time, promises and restocks haven’t really helped the situation, and picking one up is still as difficult as ever. But there’s some hop on the horizon, with Sony promising to ramp up production to levels “never achieved before”.
In a briefing with investors, Sony confirmed that one of its top priorities is getting ahead of PS5 demand — which means increasing production of new consoles. Sony also says that it expects to close the gap between PS4 and PS5 sales, after the latest console lagged behind the elder generation in 2021.
Sony has blamed the PS5 shortage on supply chain issues, a problem that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The inability to get hold of chips and other components meant the company was limited in how many consoles it could physically produce.
But with supply chain issues easing up, Sony hopes that this will translate to increased PS5 production. However, the company does have some concerns about the impact the Russian invasion of Ukraine might have on part availability. But to mitigate potential problems, Sony looks to be diversifying its supplier base “for greater agility in unstable market conditions”.
Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan believes that PS5 sales will be able to overtake the PS4 next year. He also confirmed that there are plans to heavily increase console production to new highs after the initial ramp-up. In short, buying a PS5 could be about to get even easier as Sony floods the market with consoles.
And good thing, too, because the demand is insane. While it is slightly easier to grab a console in a PS5 restock, it still requires people to follow various trackers and be ready to buy as soon as stock appears.
Sony has the figures to back up the insane PS5 demand too. Apparently, in its first fiscal year, it took 82 minutes to sell 80,000 PS5 consoles. Meanwhile it took nine days to sell the same number of PS4s during that console's first fiscal year. It's enough to make you wonder how well the PS5 would be selling if supply weren't as constrained as they have been.
Here’s just hoping we’re on the verge of a tipping point, and PS5 availability will go through the roof. Then again, considering how many times console-makers have promised to get a handle on demand, to little success, I know I won’t believe it until it happens.
At the same meeting, Sony also outlined its plans for a stronger presence on PC and mobile platforms by 2025.
