PlayStation 5 chipset issues could slash production by a quarter (Update)
- Sony’s PlayStation 5 has reportedly been plagued by chipset production issues.
- As a result, production estimates have reportedly been cut by four million units.
- Sony has denied this news, claiming it was “false”.
Update, September 16, 2020 (1:30 a.m. ET): Sony made a statement Bloomberg on the grounds that it has not revised its production number. Read the full explanation below.
While we do not disclose manufacturing details, the information Bloomberg has provided is incorrect. We haven’t changed the production number for PlayStation 5 since mass production began.
Original article, Sept. 15, 2020 (7 a.m. ET): Sony could take a hard blow before the next-gen console war begins. According to a, the PlayStation 5’s production forecast has been lowered by more than 26% due to manufacturing issues Bloomberg Report.
The Japanese company is reportedly plagued by low yields from its custom chipset, which may result in fewer consoles being built than predicted. Sony reportedly believed that 15 million units could be produced this year, but that forecast has been lowered to 11 million.
The PS5 chipset uses AMD-made Zen 2 cores with ten times the processing power, twice the RAM, and much faster NVMe-based storage compared to the PlayStation 4. Microsoft will be using a similar high-bandwidth hardware cocktail for the next-gen consoles.
Speaking of the Redmond company, the news couldn’t come at a worse time for Sony. Microsoft was arguably one foot ahead of the Japanese firm in the weeks leading up to launch and stole the limelight by confirming information early on. Both the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X have confirmed pricing and availability details. Sony has not yet announced its plans.
Sony is likely to reveal more details at its event scheduled for tomorrow (Sept. 16), but it’s not clear how the PS5’s alleged production issues could affect the console’s global availability.
Next: Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X – What We Know and How They Compare
