Gaming
Sony can’t make enough PlayStation 5s so it’s making more PS4s instead
It looks like it’s going to be pretty hard to find a PS5 for a long time.
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UPDATE 1/9/2023 9:16 AM ET: PlayStation 5 availability has improved over the six months, but now Sony has stated that buyers should have an even easier time getting one in 2023. Dive deeper: Sony says getting a PS5 should be easier in 2023
Demand for Sony’s PlayStation 5 console has been really high since the console was released in November of 2020 and it’s still hard to find one.
Now, the company has said that it will continue to produce the PS4 console throughout 2022 to help offset the lack of PlayStation 5 supply.
According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Sony had to change its production plans because of the global chip shortage that continues to plague tons of tech products.
READ MORE: Sony raises PS5 prices in most markets over inflation fears
Unnamed sources told the publication that Sony had originally planned to halt production of the PS4 at the end of 2021.
They said that the company had planned to add about a million PS4 units this year, but that number would be adjusted to fit demand throughout the year.
A Sony spokesperson confirmed that the company would continue to make PS4s throughout this year. However, they said that there was never a plan to stop producing the older console.
I find that kind of hard to believe. While the PS4 has been an incredibly popular console for Sony, the PS5 is a major upgrade in terms of performance and capabilities. Combining that with the company’s focus on backward compatibility leads to me thinking that Sony was hoping for a quick transition from the PS4 to the PS5.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out that way. The PS5, like many other electronics, has been crippled in terms of production, leading the supply lines for the console to be eaten up with bot scalpers and overpriced resellers. And it doesn’t look like that’s going to get much better anytime soon.
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