Although we have yet to see the actual console itself, it appears as though Sony may be looking at launching the PlayStation 5 with a limited supply within its first year on the market.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Sony is still expecting to release the new console this holiday season, but with a caveat. Bloomberg spoke to a few sources regarding the PlayStation 5’s launch. The unnamed sources revealed that Sony is expecting to ship fewer units than it did during the PlayStation 4’s launch in 2013.
Sony is said to be planning to ship between “5 to 6 million units of the PS5 in the fiscal year ending March 2021”. By comparison, Sony sold 7.5 million PlayStation 4 units across its first two quarters, which began in November 2013.
While many may point to COVID-19 as the cause of limited hardware fulfillment, the report indicates that the outbreak is not the root of the issue. While COVID-19 has affected Sony’s marketing plans, its the demand of the console that puts weight onto Sony’s shoulders. The PlayStation 5 is being looked at as a more ambitious console for the company, demanding a higher price point upon release.
One analyst told Bloomberg that both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox One X may land around the $450 USD price point. This may lead to thinner margins for the companies and more realistically, lead to the consoles being sold at a loss. The PlayStation 4 launched for $399 and resulted in more early adopters flocking to purchase the console. Sony has apparently struggled with the new console’s price point as a result of core component scarcity.
Sony’s plan of action is to lower the costs of its current PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro consoles to bring new users into the ecosystem. The company may look to cutting the costs of both consoles around the launch window of the PlayStation 5 and encourage users to become acclimated with the company’s online PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now subscription services.
Recently, Sony revealed the new console’s DualSense controller. Sony seemed to have revealed the controller to avoid leaks, seeing as though developers were beginning to get their hands on it. Sony is expecting mass production of the PlayStation 5 to commence in June, which may mean that a console reveal is around the corner. Seeing as though many conferences have been cancelled due to COVID-19, Sony may opt to host a public reveal online, perhaps through a ‘State of Play’ stream.
