Technology
Sony admits PS5 might have to be REDESIGNED so they can make more consoles as stock shortage woes continue
SONY has admitted that it may have to redesign the PlayStation 5 in order to put an end to months-long stock shortages of the console.
The next-gen machine launched in November last year and has effectively been sold out ever since, in part due to a global scarcity of microchips.
Despite record-breaking sales, Sony continues to struggle to keep up with demand and is considering drastic action to turn things around.
Sony’s Hiroki Totoki said during the Japanese company’s recent earnings call that one solution could be a console redesign, T3 reports.
Blaming a worldwide shortage of semiconductors – the chips that power everything from smartphones to gaming consoles – on the PS5’s restock woes, Totoki said Sony had two ways to bypass the issue.
She said the tech titan could find a secondary source of microchips, or “change the design” of the console.
Totoki, Sony’s Chief Financial Officer, did not elaborate on what that revamp might entail.
Presumably, engineers would be tasked with changing up the console’s guts so its production lines are less reliant on parts in short supply.
Adjusting the amount of silicon in the console, for instance, could help Sony mitigate the shortage of semi-conductors.
It’s unclear whether a redesign is something that Sony is seriously considering, or is simply something that’s not been ruled out.
Totoki said the company is hoping to surpass second year sales of 14.8million, which was the second year sales figure of the PS4.
In order to achieve that, it’ll have to ramp up production somehow, which is no easy task considering the global chip shortage could last years.
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PlayStation boss Jim Ryan recently claimed that it would be much easier to get a PS5 from July onwards as production of the console accelerates.
The full PS5 costs £449/$499, while a Digital Edition without a disc tray is priced at £359/$399.
They’re up against the Xbox Series X (£449) and Xbox Series S (£249), which hit shelves worldwide in November 2020.
All four consoles have been sold out around the world, with stock seesawing in and out of availability over the past few months.
The PS5 launched with major exclusive games like Spider-Man Miles Morales and a revamped version of Dark Souls for players to enjoy.
Xbox gamers, on the other hand, have a new Halo title to look forward to later this year.
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