Sony is increasing production of the soon to be released PlayStation 5 console because of the expectation that there will be high demand for home entertainment due to the coronavirus pandemic, reports suggests.
It is the target of the company to produce around 10 million units of the PS5 ahead of the launch this winter. Earlier, the company was aiming at a minimum of five million.
But there is a wedge, as almost every business has faced some sort of challenge because of the pandemic.
Logistical challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic could inhibit sales. Bloomberg has reported that Sony is faced with a demanding task of shipping the product around the world and getting it on to shop shelves.
According to Bloomberg, which spoke to suppliers, Sony began mass production of the PS5 in June and expects to have assembled five million units by the end of September – with another five million coming between October and December.
Two versions of the new console were revealed online in June, a standard PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition, which appears not to have a disc drive.
Sony also showed fans the PS5’s new haptic controller, HD camera, pulse 3D wireless headset, media remote and dual charging station.
A specific release date and pricing are not yet available.
It comes seven years after the launch of the PS4 in November 2013, and suggests Sony is confident it could far surpass the record 4.2 million units which that console sold by the end of the year.
The PS5 will be competing directly with Microsoft’s new Xbox Series X console, which is due to launch around the same time.
The lockdown is expected to drive sales of home entertainment devices and services during the winter.
When is the PS5 preorder release date, exactly?
Aside from providing the vague “holiday” time frame, Sony has not specified an official release date for the PS5. (If past years are any indication, the PS5’s release date will likely come in November.) The preorder date remains a mystery as well.
Earlier there was a lot of eagerness from gamers to place preorders because Bloomberg reported that Sony was expected to release a limited number of the gaming consoles than it has in years past, obviously because of the disruptions by COVID-19.
Rival console-makers have already been struggling to meet demand. COVID-related interference in component part production and shipments, plus increased interest in video games from people sheltering at home, have caused Nintendo Switch inventory shortages.
How much will PS5 cost?
In the absence of official notice from Sony, the online rumor mill has been grinding away about the price, preorder date, and exact release date.
It’s unclear how much Sony will be charging for the PlayStation 5, though people generally expect it to be around the $500 price point.
Last month Amazon U.K. accidentally published a product page for the PS5 featuring a price tag of £599.99, or about $765. An Amazon spokesperson said the listing, widely considered too steep to be real, was “an error.”
Analysts told Fortune that, Sony may be waiting for Microsoft to announce the price tag of the Xbox before deciding on its own. The rivalry could force Sony to sell its system for cheaper than what it cost to make.
Microsoft has an Xbox event planned for July 23, where it’s expected to reveal details about upcoming games including Halo Infinite, the latest installment of Microsoft’s popular space combat franchise.
