Sony says it underestimated PS5 demand but production is ‘ramping up steadily’

Sony Interactive Entertainment has said it underestimated consumer demand for PlayStation 5 ahead of the console’s November 2020 launch.

Speaking to The Washington Post, SIE CEO Jim Ryan also blamed the lack of PS5 consoles currently available on the global semiconductor shortage.

“Demand was greater than we anticipated,” he said. “That, along with the complexities of the supply chain issues, resulted in a slightly lower supply than we initially anticipated.”

Ryan said production of PS5 consoles is now “ramping up steadily” and in a separate interview, he told the Financial Times that Sony expects to produce “really decent numbers” in the second half of 2021.

Sony previously said it hopes to ship over 14.8 million PS5s during its next fiscal year but that it could struggle to hit the goal due to challenges caused by supply chain issues.

While Ryan reportedly refused to guarantee Sony will be able to satisfy PS5 demand by the 2021 holiday sales season, noting that “there are very few magic wands that can be waved,” he said the supply situation will improve throughout the year.

“It will get better every month throughout 2021,” he said. “The pace of the improvement in the supply chain will gather throughout the course of the year, so by the time we get to the second half of [2021], you’re going to be seeing really decent numbers indeed.”

AMD, which makes the chips inside PS5 and Microsoft’s rival Xbox Series X/S consoles, recently forecast supply issues through the first half of 2021.

PS5 launched in November 2020 in the US, Europe, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.

Following “unprecedented” consumer demand for PS5, Ryan previously claimed the platform recorded “the biggest console launch of all-time”.

PS5 shipments reached 4.5 million units in 2020, according to Sony.

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SIE made a raft of announcements on Tuesday, including plans to bring “a whole slate” of its games to PC, starting with a Days Gone port this spring.

Ryan also revealed that Gran Turismo 7 had been delayed to 2022 after Polyphony Digital’s racing game was “impacted by Covid-related production challenges”.

Sony said it’s working on a “next-generation VR system” for PS5 too. The headset, which will launch beyond 2021, will feature improved resolution, field of view tracking and utilise a new VR controller.

Additionally, the company said it will give away Ratchet & Clank in March as part of its Play at Home initiative.

Sony also confirmed plans to stream a new State of Play presentation on February 25. Lasting for about 30 minutes, it promises to provide “new updates and deep dives for 10 games coming to PS4 and PS5″.