I don’t even know what it looks like, but after a detailed dive into its hardware and a look at its dead sexy controller, I can honestly say that when it comes to the PlayStation 5…I WANT ONE! Sony seems to be confident that their next-gen console will still ship during the 2020 silly season, but there might be a catch to that: It could be bloody difficult to get your hands on a PS5.
According to sources at Bloomberg, the initial production run will be smaller than the launch of the PlayStation 4, due to a number of factors. Yes, COVID-19 is one of those factors that has had a knock-on effect for the marketing of the next-gen console but not its production. The current thinking is that the combination of bleeding edge hardware and the hefty price tag that the console will most likely demand, will result in some steep supply and demand issues.
When it does release, Sony will aim to have make 5 to 6 million units of the PS5 in the fiscal year ending March 2021, down from the PS4 which numbered 7.5 million units during the first two quarters that it was sold from November 2013. With a reported price tag of between $499 to $549, that makes for a luxury item that few can afford, with the local price tag likely to easily break the R10 000 mark when the PlayStation 5 does arrive on our shores.
According to Bloomberg, Sony’s plan is to keep interest in their brand alive by creating a “bridge” with the current PlayStation 4:
Sony’s strategy, according to several people familiar with its plans, will be to rely on incumbent PlayStation 4 models as a bridge to get new users onto the PlayStation platform’s network services while the PS5 remains in limited supply, the people said. Currently, Sony sells the PS4 for $300 and the higher-end PS4 Pro for $400. The company may cut these prices around the time of the PS5 launch to stimulate new subscribers for the PlayStation Plus membership program and PlayStation Now game-streaming service, the people said.
Sony’s Chief Executive Officer Kenichiro Yoshida has said the company will aim to increase recurring revenue rather than one-time hardware purchases.
What does that mean for us in the grand scheme of things? That we’ll likely be one of the final countries to receive stock of the PlayStation 5, and even then it’ll be in extremely limited numbers.If Sony only has so many consoles with which to push into the market, it’ll do so in the most lucrative territories with the deepest of pockets first. Pockets which our local economy can barely fit a finger into, let alone a wad of disposable income that can be flagrantly spent on next-gen gaming technology.
Last Updated: April 16, 2020
D@rCF0g
April 16, 2020 at 10:18
That’s fine. I want an Xbox anyway for the next generation. I expect MS to be in a similar position though. I assume due to the limited quantity, prices may be more than what would have been expected had the world not been hit by COVID-19!
Jonah Cash
April 16, 2020 at 11:15
I have over R4k worth of eBucks that I have been saving for this console… I will be mostly ready by December to fork out the rest. But yes that will probably not happen as we are the ass end of the world here in SA and will only get stock later… Sad face 🙁
LegionZA
April 16, 2020 at 09:18
It might not be a bad thing that we will get it later, gives us more time to save for it. And thanks to lockdown, the saving on petrol money can go towards the PS5, hehe
HvR
April 16, 2020 at 10:08
The way the rand and economy is going it can very likely be a R15000 console
MechMachine
April 16, 2020 at 11:04
I`ll make you a deal. Let’s split the costs of the PS5 down the middle. I`ll take the actual console and you can have the controller.
MechMachine
April 16, 2020 at 11:40
To be fair, we honestly can’t say what is going to happen with the corona virus or if the PS5 is going to be competitive next gen. And with all that’s going on in the world, a new console seems trivial at the moment. It’s such a sad state of affairs that one feels guilty doing normal things simply because there is this terrible virus out there.
HvR
April 16, 2020 at 12:06
I wonder if the 5 to 6 million unit they mention they already have all the components in stock in the factory warehouse.
With the 2008/2009 recession lead times for some electronic components went to 18 months due to much shorter factory shutdowns than we are experiencing now.