Sony Expecting Production Issues with Launch PS5s

By: Bryce L. Jackson

Sony is reportedly planning around having less PlayStation 5s than they’d like at launch in the spring.

According to Bloomberg, Sony is expecting to produce 5-6 million PS5 units through March 2021, down from 7.5 million PS4 units sold from from November 2013 through March of 2014. Sources familiar with the assembly process told Bloomberg that Sony opted for more expensive parts for the PS5 like the SSDs and opting for “unusually” expensive cooling units aimed to address a common complaint throughout the lifespan of the PS4. Another production hiccup has been the availability of DRAM and NAND flash memory. Phone manufacturers also use these memory types and are ramping up production on their next models.

The tumultuous production of the PS5 with the cost of parts are possibly leading to a high price at retail, somewhere around $499-$549 range. Individuals in the know have said that the PS5s cost of production have been between $450 and $470 per unit. This may either lead to Sony selling at around $499 at launch, or to sell PS5s at a loss to bolster their initial install base. All of those physical issues have now been compounded by coronavirus pandemic that Bloomberg also claims has severely hindered Sony’s marketing plan for the PS5, already cancelling a press conference that would have revealed the console, its price, and its released date.