Due to global supply chain disruptions limiting the production of more expensive PS5 consoles, Sony Group will continue to produce the previous generation of PS4 consoles until the end of 2022. The PS5 has been in short supply since it went on sale in November 2020.
Sony told assembly partners late last year that it would continue producing the previous-generation PS4 this year, people familiar with the matter said. While Sony has never officially announced when it will stop producing the PS4, the company had previously planned to stop assembly by the end of 2021.
This strategic adjustment will allow Sony to increase PS4 production by about 1 million units this year to help offset some of the pressure on the company’s PS5 production, a number that will also be adjusted based on demand. The PS4, which uses a less advanced, simpler-to-manufacture chip, is a relatively inexpensive alternative to the PS5.
A Sony spokesperson confirmed that PS4 production will continue this year and that the company has no plans to stop making the console. The PS4 is one of the best-selling consoles of all time, and there’s always been a generational transition in gaming, Sony said. However, Sony had hoped that players would make a quick transition to the latest PS5 console.