A new report from Bloomberg provides more details about Sony’s strategy for the release of PlayStation 5. The console is said to be still launching in 2020, despite the COVID-19 emergency.
According to sources, the next-gen platform is releasing with “limited output” at the launch at a price ranging between $500 and $549.
The reason behind such move is not the novel coronavirus – which is not changing plans for the launch of the next-gen PlayStation – but the higher costs of its internal components.
The console maker is anticipating a relatively low demand because of that price, and will reportedly limit the initial output as a means not to lose too much money upon the first year. Analysts have been anticipating shortages for a while.
PlayStation would be pushing on PS4 and PS4 Pro for at least another year, lowering their prices, in order to further capitalize on subscriptions such as PlayStation Plus and digital content sales.
A delay is not planned at the time being and won’t be taken into consideration unless Microsoft does the same with Xbox Series X.
On top of that, manufacturing operations will begin regularly during June, as Chinese factories are starting to work at full speed again right now.
While plans for the release might not have changed, promotional activities have undoubtedly been impacted by the ongoing pandemic.
Sony is said to have been forced to rush the recent DualSense reveal to prevent leaks, as they had already shipped units to select developers.
Also, the company is considering not doing a PS5 reveal event in the style of PlayStation Meeting at all, since it would be hard to set such things up with the current restraints.
PlayStation 5 is releasing during Holiday 2020.
Published: Apr 16, 2020 03:16 am