The amount of units available during the launch of Sony’s long-awaited PlayStation 5 system this holiday season will be limited.
Sony Corp is planning to produce a significantly smaller amount of units for launch, as compared to previous generation consoles, due to its assumed hefty price tag. According to a new Bloomberg report, Sony is allegedly planning for shipments of only five to six million units through the end of March 2021. In comparison, it sold 7.5 million PlayStation 4 consoles during an equivalent launch period in 2013.
While Sony has not revealed just how much the PS5 will cost, analysts are expecting it to cost well over the PS4’s launch price, given how technically ambitious the upcoming system is. The company would need a higher price tag attached to the system in order to break even, according to Damian Thong, an analyst at Macquarie Capital.
Sony is also reportedly on track to release the console during this year’s holiday season as targetted, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Per Bloomberg’s report, the reduced number of PS5 units will stem solely from its cost, and will have nothing to do with production challenges faced amidst the pandemic. However, the report also mentions that the production capacity for the PS5 “could still change” as the unpredictable COVID-19 pandemic rages on.
While the pandemic hasn’t harmed Sony’s production plan, Bloomberg says the coronavirus has heavily derailed the brand’s marketing strategy. Sony has reportedly axed plans for a traditional console reveal with the press in attendance.
In other PlayStation news, Sony recently unveiled a new Play At Home initiative, making two of its games – Unchartered: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey – completely free to download for gamers between now and May 5.