Sony's next-gen gaming console is set for a Holiday 2020 release, and while a report of a delay due to the coronavirus hasn't made the headlines, a new report claims that the company may be cutting back on initial shipments of the PlayStation 5. It's all reportedly due to a limited initial demand by a higher asking price -- that and of course, the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's spending behavior.
According to Bloomberg, Sony will only ship 5 to 6 million PS5 units within the first fiscal, which will end in March 2021. For context, that would be down from 7.5 million units produced during the PS4's launch in 2013. Its very first day sold a million units, and by April 2014, over 7 million PS4 units have been sold.
The report states that PS5 will likely cost higher than its predecessor, and Sony expects to sell fewer units due to the ongoing health crisis. The console's developers estimate that the console will launch for between $500 and $550 as its components are more expensive, like its high-speed SSD storage. Although, there have been previous reports that Sony may consider selling its upcoming console at a loss-leading price not far from the PS4's launch offering.
If the PS5 does ship with a high-end price, however, it wouldn't be a surprise at all. It's expected that higher-tier models are definitely more expensive than previous offerings. But once you adjust for inflation, a $500 price is well within the normal range.
With the coronavirus still wreaking havoc on the global economy, it's also expected that many people will likely restrict their spending habits and spend less on gadgets that they don't really need, at least not immediately. It's also worth noting that both the standard PS4 and the PS4 Pro, for now, have better libraries than the PS5 -- that's another challenge for the upcoming console to tackle.
Bloomberg's report states that the pandemic has not affected the production capacity for the PS5, which is what the company said previously. What's affected though, is Sony's promotional rollout for the new console as a public press won't be happening due to social distancing guidelines.
There was quite an awkward virtual event by Sony last month, which detailed the specs of the PS5. There could be another livestreamed press conference to announce the price of the upcoming system, though we're hoping there will be improvements in terms of how Sony will handle it.
