Sony Is Dealing With PlayStation 5 Shortage by Making More PS4s

Thread: Sony Is Dealing With PlayStation 5 Shortage by Making More PS4s
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Sony Group Corp. will continue producing PlayStation 4 consoles throughout 2022 as it navigates disruptions to the global supply chain that have limited output of its pricier PlayStation 5.

The Japanese conglomerate, whose flagship PS5 console has been in scarce supply since its debut in November 2020, told assembly partners late last year that it would continue making its earlier-generation machine through this year, according to people familiar with the matter. While Sony never officially announced when it would stop making the PS4, it had previously planned to discontinue assembly at the end of 2021, they said, asking not to be named as the plans are not public.

The strategy would add about a million PS4 units this year to help offset some of the pressure on the company's PS5 production, a figure that will be adjusted in response to demand, the people said. The older console uses less advanced chips, is simpler to make and provides a budget-friendly alternative to the PS5.

Increasing production orders by adding the cheaper-to-make PS4 would also give Sony more leeway when negotiating with manufacturing partners for a better deal, two of the people said.

A Sony spokesperson confirmed PS4 production would continue this year and said the company had not planned to stop making the console. "It is one of the best-selling consoles ever and there is always crossover between generations," the company said.

Sony's ambition with the PlayStation 5 was to make a quick transition to the latest hardware, PlayStation chief Jim Ryan has said. But the coronavirus pandemic slowed software development across the games industry while also triggering a surge in hardware demand that's made even the most basic of components scarce. The result has been a console that's hard to find and lacks a strong portfolio of must-have exclusive games.

The predecessor PS4, released in 2013, has sold more than 116 million units to date and remains a popular option among players. It still provides a substantial portion of Sony's gaming division income from subscriptions and software sales.

The PlayStation unit is grappling with a series of unanticipated challenges, including a slower-than-expected PS5 production pace and online scalpers choking off retail supply of the newer console. Extending PS4 availability is seen within the company as a means to fill the supply vacuum and keep gamers within the PlayStation ecosystem, according to a Sony official who is not authorized to speak publicly.

Among the most severe supply chain bottlenecks today are cheap general-purpose chips for audio, power and wireless communication functions. Some console makers have found that even offering a higher price won't secure supply of such components as all current production has already been sold, according to the people. Even with finished consoles, distribution remains a challenge as shipping costs have escalated sharply.
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now I have a very stupid question: will Sony contrinue making and selling DS4 controllers. or will them just keep making new consoles(incl ds4) and selling both bundled. I need new DS4 controllers.
 
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DonDonDonPata said:
Good. I remember news that they'd stopped producing PS4s and thought it was incredibly stupid, especially in this market. Drop it to $250 (or $200) and Sony could have another PS2 on their hands.
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They stopped PS4 production? I didn't even question that they would continue for a time, and given that PS5s aren't in the customers' hands half as much as they'd like that surprises me.
 
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Soodanim said:
They stopped PS4 production? I didn't even question that they would continue for a time, and given that PS5s aren't in the customers' hands half as much as they'd like that surprises me.
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PS4 Pro isn't being produced, and I think they reduced regular PS4s and/or stopped production entirely for the Japanese market in anticipation of the PS5.

www.tomsguide.com

Sony is officially discontinuing most PS4 models — what you need to know

If you want a brand new PS4, now is the time to buy one
www.tomsguide.com www.tomsguide.com
 
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Honestly with the complete failure of developers to shift games to current gen, most titles coming out will run on a PS4 for years to come yet.

Plus, given it's older hardware that's less in demand, likely it will be cheaper to make and faster to source parts for.

It's still a sorry state of affairs to find ourselves in though.
 
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Just had a quick look for PS4 consoles in the UK and there doesn't seem to be many around. They aren't cheap, either. 250 -260 for a slim.
 
The Bloody Nine said:
Just had a quick look for PS4 consoles in the UK and there doesn't seem to be many around. They aren't cheap, either. 250 -260 for a slim.
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Honestly their having all but stopped production makes the sudden drop in PS4 sales make way more sense.

With the lack of current gen exclusives, and inability for anyone to reliably get a hold of a PS5, I'd expected PS4 to have legs for days like the Switch, but it seemed to dry up like everyone was getting the new system, so thats one mystery solved at least.
 
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