Sony is increasing production of its upcoming PlayStation 5 console in order to meet demand in time for launch.
According to a new report from Nikkei, Sony aims to produce 10 million PS5 units before the year is out and has already informed part suppliers and manufacturing plants of its intentions.
There’s not a definitive figure on how many more PS5s Sony is making in advance of launch day. But the total is believed to be 9 -10 million consoles, up from the 6 million that Sony had originally planned to make.
There’s no word on how this number will be divided between the standard PS5, which comes with a disc drive, and the cheaper PS5 Digital Edition, which only supports downloadable games. This considerable quantity also raises the question of how easily Sony will be able to get all these consoles to retailers.
Of course, logistical problems caused by the global health crisis mean that even if Sony achieves its mammoth production goals, the company will still face a huge challenge in delivering stock to high street stores worldwide. This is especially true during the typically-hectic holiday period, which already strains global distribution lines at the best of times.
Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad weighed in on the reported increase in PS5 units, saying that it shows Sony expects “strong demand both at launch and through 2021.” Ahmad provided some additional context for the 10 million PS5 units, referencing the current console generation launch period, when Sony sold 4.5 million PS4 units by the end of 2013, and Microsoft sold 3.9 million Xbox One units by the end of the same year.
Taking the new report and Ahmad’s context into account, it seems as though Sony is fairly confident that the PS5 will outsell the PS4. The PS4 sold 4.5 million units in the remainder of the year when it launched on November 13, and even if Sony holds back half of their 10 million units for 2021, that’s still around five million units for sale in the remainder of 2020 when the new console launches in holiday 2020.
