Report: Sony scaling back initial PS5 production numbers

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A new report suggests Sony may be cutting back on initial shipments of the upcoming PlayStation 5. That's in part because initial demand for the system may be limited by a higher asking price and by the COVID-19 pandemic's global impact on consumer spending.

Bloomberg cites unnamed "people familiar with the matter" in reporting that Sony will only produce 5 to 6 million PS5 units by the time its fiscal year ends in March 2021. That would be down from 7.5 million PS4 units produced in a similar timeframe following that system's late 2013 launch. That PS4 launch included a million units sold in its very first day and over 7 million sold to consumers by early April 2014.

Sony may expect to sell fewer PS5 units initially in part because of a higher-than-normal expected price for its next console. Developers working on PS5 software expect the system to launch for between $499 and $549, according to Bloomberg, driven by more expensive components such as high-speed SSD storage. Some analysts feel the system may launch at a lower, loss-leading price of $450, though, which would be a bit closer to the PS4's $399 launch offering.

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