Even in 2022, PS5 stock shortages are still a major issue for Sony. Weirdly enough, they decided to produce more PS4 instead…? Like, what?
A Baffling Decision? Or Is There a Good Reason?
Since its debut in November 2020, Sony’s PlayStation 5 console has been met with a seemingly never-ending stock shortage issue that heavily affected its availability for purchase for many gamers worldwide. Various factors have affected the production and distribution of the said console, from materials and logistics issues to scalpers reselling overpriced units.
To combat the issue, Sony Group Corp. has decided to continue the production of their previous generation console, the PlayStation 4, despite previous rumors that the production of the said console will be stopped in 2021, according to Hindustan Times Tech.
Doing so will help offset the PS5’s unit shortage by producing a million more PS4 units and that is the reason why Sony decided to have this decision. Furthermore, when it comes to production, Sony stated that the PS4 is far easier to produce than the PS5 since it uses few materials and older chips that result in a budget-friendly alternative for gamers while waiting for the stock shortage to be resolved.
That decision will also help the PlayStation ecosystem to be thriving with dedicated players, as having access to the PS4 will still allow players to play some PlayStation exclusives and games that were initially released on the PS5 that has a PS4 version.
Sony Found Out The Cause of Stock Shortages
Upon investigation, Sony has stated that the main cause for the shortages of available PS5 consoles is the production issues of major components for the internals of the said console. Those components were general-purpose chips meant for audio, power, and wireless communication functions.
Unfortunately, the company cannot immediately secure new stocks of those components as the ones they have found have been already sold to different companies that are also in need of those same components. Adding to that misfortune is that Sony hasn’t given a statement yet on how to get those new components for production.
Even if they have solved the components issue, the next challenge would be the logistics of delivering finished consoles to shops and stores worldwide due to the ongoing pandemic that severely affected many services globally, including shipping and transportation.
Sony Looking For New Areas of Growth
It seems that the executives and higher-ups at Sony Group Corp. have no solid solution with the intent on solving the PS5 stock shortage issue as they are instead looking for new areas in the market for growth. That means that they will focus more on the other aspects of the gaming market.
The aspect that Sony is highly interested in is the virtual gaming market, as they plan to create more powerful and advanced virtual reality tech items such as VR headsets and complementing accessories for it. By focusing more on newer virtual reality technology, Sony can get themselves more heavily involved in the upcoming metaverse that many other tech companies have been getting their hands into, such as Google and Meta (formerly Facebook).
Another area that Sony is looking to grow in is the electric car market, wherein they will be competing with other Japanese carmakers that have already entered that market, such as Nissan and Mitsubishi, as well as other foreign companies, notably Tesla and Ford.
