Sony is selling a lot of PlayStation 5 consoles, but it’s struggling to meet demand. Those of you who are trying to get your hands on the console will know that PS5 stock is sporadic and in short supply, and it sounds like the situation will not be resolved any time soon. In fact, Bloomberg reports that the company has had to reduce its manufacturing target from 16 million to 15 million by the end of March.
This means that the platform holder may struggle to achieve its aim of 14.8 million units sold to consumers during the same time period. PS5 has, up until now, outpaced the PS4’s sales – but it’s beginning to fall behind. This is all a consequence of the ongoing global pandemic, of course, which has resulted in a shortfall of key components, like semiconductors.
Consequently, PlayStation is not the only organisation affected: Nintendo recently cut its full-year forecast for the Nintendo Switch by 1.5 million units as well. All of this could have a knock-on effect on software sales, and with no obvious resolution in sight, there are likely going to be some big decisions for executives like Jim Ryan to make.
[source bloomberg.com]
Comments 48
This will contribute to making Sony decide to release their Games on PC Day 1
Consoles, phones and even cars are stuck with the delay to semi-conductor supplies.
What does this mean to Playstation? Who knows but if all continues as it is at present, dev studios may well be dusting off their PS4s and Pros and down-porting.
Given this uncertainty, I really can't be bothered to try and find a PS5. I had the option to buy a digital only version recently but passed on it as I have too many PS4 discs and the Pro is running all the recent games I'm interested in smoothly and quietly.
Until PS5 has some actual exclusives worth the outlay and is available to buy in usual retail chains, I can't say I'm fussed.
Then just play your PS4 then. Most of the games on PS5 are on PS4 as well. I dont understand the panic to buy these so early. Theirs literally like three games that are exclusive to it, lol.
Steam Deck launch also got pushed back to February. It is a mess out there.
@Ken_Kaniff My thoughts exactly
@sanderson72. I agree i got my ps4 pro since 2017 and i love it.games look amazing on my ps4 pro.word up son
The launch of the Steam Deck was delayed by two months as well due to component shipment delays. It's going to take years for supply chains and manufacturing to get back to normal, or at least something approximating normality.
I suppose the upshot of Sony's approach (which has been kind of the opposite of what "we believe in generations" would suggest) is that most of their big games will be accessible to the majority of their base anyway.
By the time their big PS5 exclusives are shipping out in 2023-2024, hopefully it'll be easier to obtain one of these consoles.
I was planning on sticking with my PS4 for the foreseeable future anyway, so none of this affects me.
@IonMagi Y'all can keep repeating it as many times as you want. It ain't happening
@Ken_Kaniff ps4 games run much better on ps5. The difference is massive in some cases.
@naruball They literally say Software sales are Suffering bc of the shortage lol. So whats the easiest solution? Sell to who knows how many millions of Gamers on PC on Launch
@IonMagi but they'll get those sales when people can get a console.
You say the same thing on every article, even if you were right, which I'm sceptical of, do you really think repeating yourself is adding to the discussion? Everyone knows what you think.
@Ken_Kaniff
You can play every PC game on an old 1050 also... people still lining around the block for a new 3080 or 6800XT
That is not the only reason to upgrade hardware.
I think only apple that immune to this, they have no stock problems when launching their new phones, even though they sold millions of it.
@naruball yes they do..i love my ps5 and my mate who is now a proud owner says the same..the games have never looked or ran better..these people who say its not worth it at the mo are just attention seeking and trying to be controversial..🖕to you all..
@theheadofabroom when People get a console so in...2023 as its looking like now
@Northern_munkey I don't doubt that they run better (be embarrassing for Sony if it didn't) but
1) you can't get hold of one easily, and
2) I'd have to spend ~£600 to replace the Pro, controllers, charge dock, etc. with a console that has virtually no exclusives and plays the PS4 titles a bit better than the Pro.
Worth it? No.
@sanderson72 maybe not to you because you cant get one but if you could you would be dancing to a different tune..they are worth every penny..oh its worth having as a 4k bluray player (they look amazing too) but i suppose if you dont have a 4k tv then you will say they aint worth it either..
@IonMagi again, no. They make much more from third party games and dlc/microtransactions on ps consoles.
@sanderson72 that I can most certainly agree with.
@naruball Even more so when the Pro's got a fast Crucial SSD in its internal SATA 3 hard drive slot so loading games and the dreaded download and copy process take seconds rather than minutes.
@Northern_munkey I'm not dissing the PS5 - I just don't think personally it's worth it just yet. I've always waited about a year before updating to the latest PlayStation (let others find the bugs!) but this is the first generation I'm happy to wait longer for. Maybe if Sony hadn't done such a good job with the PS4, it'd be a different story.
I bought mine from a scalper day 1, am loving my ps5, get plenty of time on it
@Ken_Kaniff
100% agreed. God of war, Horizon and more is still coming to ps4 next year. End of 2022, early 2023 is the only time it will start becoming essential to switch over.
@Ken_Kaniff I take your overall point but, with respect, it's been a year. It's really not that early anymore.
And it's going to seem even less so when exclusives start dropping first quarter of next year and these things are still not any easier to find.
I'll be honest, God of War and Ghost of Tsushima look fantastic on ps5, as does Miles Morales.
But, those upgrades aside, it's really only 4 or 5 games ps4 players are missing out on at the moment.
I don't regret getting my ps5, but I am at the point where I either own/or am not interested in the rest of the ps5 exclusives.
Having a pc to play stuff like FH5 on game pass is a definite advantage and is now what I spend most of my time on.
Plus, having a digital ps5 means I'm limited to the expensive store front for anything new.
Being unable to play disc versions and therefore losing access to the used market is an unfortunate drawback of the digital ps5, and is one I think people should consider before spending anything.
These consoles needed to be delayed by at least a year
@IonMagi My friends list now has more PS5s on it then PS4s, I'm not saying people aren't struggling to get hold of them, but plenty of consoles are getting into people's hands.
Well seeing as though demand is still there, if they make 15 mil, they will sell 15 mil, so how will they fall behind the 14.8 mil they are targeting?
I've tried to buy one dozens of times. I've had success three times, all of which were with Walmart. The latest occurrence was November 3rd and the experience was so smooth.
@naruball
Agreed. It’s the best PS4 ever.
And cross Gen titles, it’s no contest. PS5 versions take a dump on PS4 versions on the quality of life aspect.
Load times or lack thereof being the biggest difference.
@Netret0120 Yeah, seems like by 2023 we should stop getting cross-gen games thankfully.
@TheRedComet yup. It's mostly loading times for me. I no longer dread playing certain games.
@sanderson72 as someone who hasn't had a ps4pro, I definitely didn't experience it to see the difference, so I'm sure you're right. The difference between pro and ps5 can't be that big.
To be honest, even just for Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart, I'm really glad I got a ps5 (it was my first R&C game), but I can see how it's not that big of a deal to others.
@naruball I'll get one when the exclusive 'must have' (for me) game hits. Don't know what that is or when it'll hit but it will do at some point.
I think the PS3 fat was the only PlayStation I bought even though the games weren't anything special but that was only because Sony announced they were end-of-lining the 60Gb PS2 backwards compatibility version.
I managed to get hold of a 60Gb with Motorstorm and Resistance for £350 at my local Game. The following week they were sold out and they never appeared in stock again!
@sanderson72 wow! Talk about luck!
@naruball I know!
The old fatty lasted about 5 and a half years before the YLOD claimed it while I was playing Dragon's Dogma! Sad day.
It sucks that everything is such an effort to get hold of at the moment. But the good thing for those waiting is right now...you're not really missing much. I've had my ps5 since June...I've played more on my PS4 since. My mate also has a ps5, few months longer than myself...the majority of the time I've seen him playing PS4 games on it.
It's a great machine. It's a big machine. But to be brutally honest I've had very few 'wow' moments. One came from playing Astros for the first time and seeing the controller fully implemented. Only one other game has used it effectively since (a plagues tale).
I've also a PS4 pro...the leap in visuals so far for the vast majority of games has been probably akin to the half step I see between PS4 and PS4 pro.
The much mooted ray tracing has been all but absent in the vast majority of games. Only one game comes to mind where it stood out as impressive - observer.
I'm currently playing through resident evil village on ps5 with ray tracing on...I honestly find it hard to tell what ray tracing is bringing to it.
Yes, it's nice to have higher framerates. And resolution. And the biggest most noticeable advantage I've noticed so far has most certainly been loading times.
But right now, this year... You're not missing out as much as you think. You can get most of the same games on PS4. I wouldn't be surprised if the ps5s biggest selling game this year is also a PS4 title. That's not going to change for least another year yet.
Get one if you can and really want one. Don't if you fear you're gonna be missing out...as you're really not yet. Unless you thought horizon, and God of war, were completely unplayable on PS4. Or you thought you missed out by not having a pro.
Also, before I get people blasting me as an 'xbot' and claiming the difference in visuals is 'night and day' in these cross-gen games (it's not. Trust me). I do actually want more people getting ps5s ..the sooner the install base grows the sooner they can start developing games that take advantage of the hardware from the ground up...and then they'll be a far greater argument of missing out.
@naruball
Red Dead Redemption was a rough loading game on PS4.
I can live without that ever again.
I still think the new gen could have waited 2 years for two reasons: we will get a better hardware, and the manufacturing problems would have been solved. It's not like the 4 can't handle almost all games that are out on next gen.
@TheRedComet never played it, but I can only imagine.
@SamMR from a business point of view, that would be terrible for playstation.
@naruball Terrible for fans too
@theheadofabroom absolutely
@zupertramp Yea, but my point is none of those exclusives coming out are just on PS5. Horizon, GOW are all coming to PS4 as well.
@Ken_Kaniff You're not technically wrong of course but these feel like de facto exclusives to me. Sure they'll play on ps4 but I assume people clamoring for these big first party releases want them to look and play as clean as possible.
In any case I'm not in dead set disagreement or anything but I do kinda understand the desire to play upcoming releases on the 5.
Also feel it wouldn't hurt to make some attempts at buying one now because who knows how long it'll take you to win the "add to cart" lottery.
@zupertramp I get what your saying. I just think people need to exercise alittle patient. If you've got a PS4 Pro your getting about the same performance boost as you are getting out of the PS5 with these games. You can tell from the trailers that they are scaled back to be playable on PS4. Graphically they looked about identical to Zero Dawn and the first GOW. I just haven't seen anything announced for the PS5 that says "next gen" go buy this console. Yes you might get a slight performance boost playing on it, but graphically and gameplay wise there practically the same. Until they stop doing cross gen titles with there exclusives, theirs just no reason to really buy one atm.
@Ken_Kaniff While you may be correct about GoW, I think your nostalgia goggles are on for Horizon, the level of detail in the Forbidden West trailers was a fair step beyond that of Zero Dawn
@theheadofabroom I'm not saying it didn't look alittle better, but its not that much better. The reason is its cross gen. If it were a PS5 exclusive i couldn't imagine what the game would look like, but Sony is a business and would rather scale it back and make the sales on PS4 than to push the boundaries of the PS5.
@Ken_Kaniff I can't imagine what the game would look like either. Maybe Gorilla Games couldn't and that's why it just looks the same with more detail?
It's fairly plausible that the issue is a lack of further vision/ambition rather than hardware constraint. We may well find that the extra resources are getting used elsewhere. We're not going to know until February, when I'll decide whether or not to buy the game based on reviews and analysis.
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