Sony has decided to keep making PS4 due to PS5 shortages, it’s claimed

Sony has reportedly extended production of its last-gen PlayStation 4 console, as PlayStation 5 remains in scarce supply due to component constraints.

That’s according to a new report by Bloomberg, which claims that the corporation had planned to stop making PS4 consoles last year but has now told assembly partners it will continue making the console through 2022.

The decision will see the creation of around one million PS4 units this year, it’s claimed, and offset some of the pressure on PlayStation 5 production, which requires more advanced chips.

Increasing production will also help Sony negotiate better deals with manufacturing partners, according to Bloomberg’s sources.

A Sony spokesperson confirmed PS4 production would continue this year: “It is one of the best-selling consoles ever and there is always crossover between generations,” the company said.

PS4, released in 2013, has sold more than 116 million units to date.

PS5 has been difficult to buy ever since its November 2020 launch as Sony has struggled to produce and distribute enough units to meet demand.

Sony claimed in July that PS5 had become its fastest selling console ever after topping 10 million sales globally just under a month faster than the PS4 managed. However, it has since fallen behind the sales pace of its predecessor.

In October, Sony said PS5 supply issues were negatively impacting hardware sales but that it remained hopeful of hitting its annual console shipment target of 14.8 million units, a feat that would see it best PS4’s performance during the same stage of that console’s lifecycle.

However, it was later reported that PlayStation 5 supply could be tighter than previously expected over the coming months, after Sony reportedly cut its production plans by around one million consoles.

Sony’s chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki conceded during a financial results briefing in October that PS5 sales in the first half of 2021 hadn’t met Sony’s expectations.

“Worldwide, there is a disruption in logistics, and mainly semiconductor device supply being constrained, and this is having a larger impact [than expected], and as you know, the hardware sales in the first quarter were less unit wise and so this is having an impact on us, and likewise for the second quarter,” he said.

“But I think that with our efforts and putting in place different measures, the PS platform momentum can be maintained, and especially to the users who are waiting for the PS5, we want to be able to supply as many PS5s as possible to our customers who are waiting – that is our thinking.”