Crippling PlayStation 5 shortage makes Sony turn to PlayStation 4

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Sony Group Corp. will continue producing PlayStation 4 (PS4) consoles throughout 2022 as it navigates disruptions to the global supply chain that have limited output of its pricier PlayStation 5 (PS5). The Japanese conglomerate, whose flagship PS5 console has been in scarce supply since its debut in November 2020, told assembly partners late last year that it would continue making its earlier-generation machine through this year, according to people familiar with the matter. While Sony never officially announced when it would stop making the PS4, it had previously planned to discontinue assembly at the end of 2021, they said, asking not to be named as the plans are not public.

The strategy would add about a million PS4 units this year to help offset some of the pressure on the company’s PS5 production, a figure that will be adjusted in response to demand, the people said. The older console uses less advanced chips, is simpler to make and provides a budget-friendly alternative to the PS5.

Increasing production orders by adding the cheaper-to-make PS4 would also give Sony more leeway when negotiating with manufacturing partners for a better deal, two of the people said.

A Sony spokesperson confirmed PS4 production would continue this year and said the company had not planned to stop making the console. “It is one of the best-selling consoles ever and there is always crossover between generations,” the company said.

Sony’s ambition with the PlayStation 5 was to make a quick transition to the latest hardware, PlayStation chief Jim Ryan has said. But the coronavirus pandemic slowed software development across the games industry while also triggering a surge in hardware demand that’s made even the most basic of components scarce.