Even as Covid-19 lockdowns in China continue to create supply chain uncertainties things are improving, says a senior Sony executive.
(Sony Interactive via Reuters)
Sony has said it
plans to ramp up production of its PlayStation 5 console as
supply chain snarls ease and signalled a radical broadening of
its games portfolio including more titles on PC and mobile.
The PS5, which went on sale in November 2020, undersold its
predecessor in its second year due to component shortages which
have roiled the electronics industry.
But it is expected to
close the gap in year three and overtake PS4’s install base the
following year.
Beyond the initial ramp up “we’re planning for heavy further
increases in console production, taking us to production levels
that we’ve never achieved before,” Sony Interactive
Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan told an investor briefing.
While Covid-19 lockdowns in China continue to create supply
chain uncertainty, “things are definitely improving,” he added.
Sony has forecast PS5 sales of 18 million units in the
business year to end-March compared to 11.5 million a year
earlier.
READ MORE: Samsung’s blueprint features $356B investment, 80,000 jobs
PC, mobile titles
Outlining a shift by PlayStation away from just
concentrating on single player games exclusive to its platform,
Ryan said more PC and mobile titles will be on offer in addition
to live service games, which provide continuous updated play.
While PS4 and PS5 titles are expected to make up more than
two-thirds of releases this year, PC and mobile titles will make
up almost half of new games in 2025.
“The initiatives to broaden our audience… will have a
fundamental effect on the shape of our game portfolio,” Ryan
said.
With the shift, PlayStation is aiming to keep pace with
industry change that has seen cloud technology and the increased
computing power of smartphones untether users from bulky
hardware and more money spent by gamers in free-to-play online
titles.
Amid much speculation that the metaverse, or the idea users
will spend more time in simulated environments, will upend
industry business models, Ryan said many consumers will continue
to play games as before.
“There will be many, many individual players who prefer to enjoy games in the way that they have played them from the past 30 years or more,” he said.
READ MORE: Stock markets slump amid concerns over weak global growth
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
