Hardware news PS5: to compensate for the difficulties of the shortage, Sony wants to produce more PS4
It will not have escaped anyone’s notice: it has been difficult to get hold of the PlayStation 5 since its release in November 2020. A situation that is difficult to manage for Sony, which is trying to multiply the solutions to compensate … until sometimes taking illogical decisions on paper.
Summary
- More PS4 … for more PS5?
- A decision justified by the catalog
More PS4 … for more PS5?
In the midst of a generational transition, Sony could review its strategy in the coming months. It is Bloomberg, according to sources familiar with the matter, who specifies the plans of the manufacturer PlayStation. The Japanese giant had planned to stop production of the PlayStation 4 at the end of last year, to focus on the PlayStation 5. But that was without taking into account the health crisis, which put an unforeseen strain on the production of semiconductors essential for the manufacture of the new generation console.. And that’s without counting the increasing demand which exploded following the confinements. Obstacles that see Sony reconsider the PS4: its production cost is lower than that of the PS5 (which the Japanese brand is selling at a loss). Such a justified decision vis-à-vis Sony suppliers: sources familiar with the matter believe that increasing production allows a large margin of negotiation with them.
A decision justified by the catalog
If such choices turn out to be true, there are many arguments to support it. For the moment, the catalog of exclusivity of the PlayStation 5 remains thin: Demon’s Souls, Astro’s Playroom, Returnal or even Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart are part of the thin list of games to be found only on the new generation console. Many games eagerly awaited this year, such as Horizon: Forbidden West or God of War: Ragnarok, also have a PlayStation 4 version. For many people, this justifies the purchase of this console, cheaper, but still having the abilities to spin those future hits. Not to mention Elden Ring, ForSpoken or Hogwarts Legacy, non-exclusive Sony games planned on PS5 but also on PS4. Games still developed on PlayStation 4, which are selling points for the console. Producing more for Sony would therefore allow them to partially compensate for the financial difficulties linked to the shortage of PS5s.
Source: Bloomberg
Through Charlanmhg, Writing jeuxvideo.com
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