As the supply chain crisis off the coast of China continues to affect electronics manufacturing worldwide, PlayStation is in an interesting position. With the threat of a third Christmas affected by the stock shortage of PS5, Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan says the company is looking to increase production as much as possible.
The question that comes to mind is, “But where do you get the pieces?” As we wrote earlier in Kotaku Australia, the completed PS5 consoles and the electronics needed to assemble new ones are currently stuck in a naval stagnation around the busiest ports in China. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also had a significant effect on global logistics. Ryan says Sony takes all of that into account.
Ryan spoke clearly about the company’s ongoing supply issues during his recent call to investors. Sony’s plan to overcome what it calls “short-term risks” affecting its PS5 shares involves looking for new supply partners to get parts. The hope is that this will give “greater agility in unstable market conditions.” Sony says it is also involved in “ongoing logistics negotiations to maintain optimal PS5 delivery routes.”
Screenshot: Sony Group Corporation
“We’re planning a sharp increase in console production, which will take us to production levels we’ve never reached before,” Ryan told investors in the call. His expectation is that sales of the PS5 will finally meet those of the PS4 before the end of the year. Ryan says his expectation is that the PS5 will start surpassing PS4 sales next year and beyond.
All of this seems very proactive and good. The problem, again, is exactly where Sony plans to find suppliers who can get or manufacture the parts they need. Today, the world’s supply of electronics is stranded on ships and docks up and down the coast of China. Being one of the most powerful consumer electronics corporations must surely have something in a situation like this, but it is also worth noting that the hurdle it is trying to jump is equally great and affects its entire business, from from games to appliances.
This, of course, comes from a call from investors where the goal is to prevent shareholders from getting scared and raising vital funds. Sony will want to assure you that it is doing something to ensure a strong performance of its latest console, and here we are.
So for now, it’s all a big, hopeful talk. I hope they can pull it off! I think we would all love to have a PS5 for Christmas! I’d love to hear your opinion on this. Can Sony really fix PS5 stock issues, or is it a lot of hot air? Sounds in the comments.