Sony is ordering at least 50 percent more PlayStation 5 consoles than it had originally planned to ship this year, according to reports in the Japanese press. While the company was expecting to produce around six million consoles in 2020, Nikkei says that the figure is now at about nine million, while Bloomberg says it could reach 10 million.
Both publications put the raised expectations down to increased demand for at-home entertainment in the age of the coronavirus. If Sony could sell anywhere near that total number of PS5 consoles through the end of the year, it would mark a major increase on its predecessor; the PS4 launched in November 2013 and had sold through 4.2 million units by the end of the following month.
Facebook is also ramping up production of Oculus VR headsets, according to Nikkei, with a similar goal of pushing growth up to 2 million units in the second half of 2020 — this would reportedly be up 50 percent on its output for the whole of 2019. The company is said to be starting mass production for a new headset this month, though Nikkei doesn’t say whether it’s a standalone system like the Quest or a tethered headset like the Rift S.
Gaming hardware has often been difficult to buy during the pandemic. Oculus has experienced severe supply constraints, with its Quest headset frequently selling out as soon as it’s restocked. Nintendo, meanwhile, has experienced difficulty meeting demand for the Switch and its home fitness game Ring Fit Adventure. With several major launches happening in the second half of the year, it’s no surprise that platform owners want to make sure there’s enough stock to go around.
