UPDATE: Sony have issued a statement on the rumor, flatly denying the current and prior reports by Bloomberg.
Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony’s states “While we do not release details related to manufacturing, the information provided by Bloomberg is false. We have not changed the production number for PlayStation 5 since the start of mass production.”
It is curious that Sony have chosen now to deny Bloomberg’s sources, rather than their prior stories. While stating production had doubled would seemingly not cause them any issues, they said nothing over the initial claims of limited production in April.
It could be that Sony have “had enough” of the leaks, and have finally acted; not doing so before to avoid drawing attention to them, and stating they never had any production changes. On the other hand, it could genuinely be a source lied to Bloomberg or was otherwise misinformed.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments below!
Original Story:
Sony have reportedly cut their production of PlayStation 5 consoles by 4 million, due to manufacturing issues with some part productions being as low as 50%.
Bloomberg had previously reported that Sony were allegedly taking a “wait-and-see“ approach to the PlayStation 5’s pricing, according to their sources. This was seemingly motivated by struggling to find parts and a limited production.
These was seemingly alleviated, with Bloomberg later reporting that PlayStation 5 production had reportedly doubled to 10 million. The alleged reason for this was due to the increased demand for gaming due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Now, Bloomberg have once again reported from “people familiar with the matter” that Sony’s estimated PlayStation 5 production in this fiscal year will be reduced by 4 million. However, this is now down to around 11 million.
The reason for this was allegedly manufacturing issues, such as production of SOC (System on a Chip) being only 50% of expectations. These production yields have allegedly been improving, but are not yet stable.
This lack of production is likely caused by staff being unable to return to work due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the ongoing shifts in quarantine and safety laws. Some staff may have even quit or been laid off when factories were closed. However, the difficulty finding parts may also be a factor.
In other news, rumors claimed that the PlayStation 5 was “considerably” more expensive than the Xbox One X prior to Microsoft revealing the price; prompting Sony to slash the price of the upcoming console. The price of the new console is likely to be revealed at tomorrow’s PlayStation 5 Showcase.
In late August Sony launched a website to give people the “opportunity” to preorder the PlayStation 5. Should production woes continue, the “opportunity” may be more exclusive than many expected.
Image: PlayStation
