Sony denies PS5 production cuts: "We have not changed the number since the start"

(Image credit: Sony PlayStation)

Update - September 15: In a statement sent to GamesIndustry, Sony emphatically denied reports that PS5 production has been cut by some four million units due to chip shortages.

"While we do not release details related to manufacturing, the information provided by Bloomberg is false," Sony says. "We have not changed the production number for PlayStation 5 since the start of mass production."

Original story:

Sony is reportedly scaling back initial production orders for the PS5 due to manufacturing issues related to the console's custom-designed system-on-chip. The plan was originally to produce about 15 million PS5 units by March, 2021, the end of the fiscal year, but now the goal is to come up with 11 million units in that same timeframe.

This comes from Bloomberg, which reports that Sony is cutting its estimated PS5 production for this fiscal year "following production issues with its custom-designed system-on-chip for the new console." Back in July, the company boosted its PS5 production estimate in anticipation of higher-than-expected demand, but now it seems manufacturing issues are throwing a wrench into those plans.

To help contextualize some of the businessy language in the report, industry analyst Daniel Ahmad says this sort of thing is commonplace near a console's launch, but concedes that "this does seem more severe than expected." That said, Ahmad notes, PS5 production in its first six months on the market will still be higher than the PS4 launch, just by a smaller margin. Ahmad also predicts "this issue will hit PS5 supply in 2021."

Earlier Monday, Ahmad revealed an interesting detail about Sony's plan to meet PS5 demand this holiday season. Reportedly, Sony is using air freight, opposed to sea freight as is standard, to meet demand for its next-gen console around launch.

These reports come as we still don't know exactly when the PS5 launches or how much it'll cost. That's all about to change though, as the big PS5 September Showcase event is happening this week.

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.