When the PS5 launches at the end of the year, likely around November, there should be enough to go around to keep PlayStation fans happy.
That’s because Sony can now crank out a console every 30 seconds, according to a report from Nikkei Asian Review, which has an insight into manufacturing and supply chains. While it can currently make two PS4 consoles every minute, it’s likely that this technology will carry over to the PS5.
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And what is that tech? Well, it’s advanced Mitsibushi robots that work on a 100ft assembly line and can automatically create PS4 consoles at a very rapid rate. In fact, the console factory based in Kisarazu is so dominated by robots that only four human workers are present in it.
Having such rapid manufacturing will allow Sony to meet the demand for its PS5. Even if rumors that it will make fewer launch units of its next-generation console than the PS4 at launch, the ability to scale up automated manufacturing should mean Sony can get PS5 consoles into the hands of retailers, and then into the hands of fans, at speed.
In short, if you’re planning on getting a PS5 at launch or several months after the console is released, then you should have no problem finding one; the bigger issue will be deciding if the rumored price tag of some $500 will be worth it. And then there’s the choice between opting for disk drive-equipped PS5 or going for the downloads-only PS5 Digital Edition.
The only fly in the ointment is Microsoft’s Xbox Series X, which is set to be more powerful by offering 12 teraflops of power to the PS5’s 10.28 teraflops, as well as undercut the PS5 on price. And it’s looking likely that the Xbox Series X will have a cheaper, less-powerful companion console in the form of the Xbox Series S to take on the PS5 Digital Edition.
Which console comes out on top has yet to be seen. But the end of 2020 looks to be an exciting time for console gamers.
