Microsoft and Sony attempted to tamp down expectations on the availability of their next-gen consoles earlier this year as their manufacturing partners were hard hit by COVID-19 related circumstances.
However, it seems that Sony’s manufacturing partners are overcoming the prolonged effects of COVID-19 and are up to producing Sony’s newly requested 10 million PlayStation 5 orders.
According to a report from Bloomberg News, Sony has adjusted its original request of 5 to 6 million PlayStation 5 orders to almost double in time for the console’s release later this year to meet what the company claims is surging demand for the device.
Sony’s original order of 5 to 6 million was planned to stretch across holiday 2020 all the way into March 2021, however, it now seems not only is Sony asking for more units but has also truncated its time table by a few months.
In addition, Sony is also requesting that its new DualSense controller match its new 10 million unit demand.
Sony began PS5 mass production in June and, under the latest plan, expects to assemble 5 million units by the end of September and another 5 million between October and December. A large portion of the latter tranche would turn into stock for 2021 due to the logistical delay. Sony could try to use air cargo for faster delivery, as it did in 2013 around the launch of the PlayStation 4, though airlines are running vastly reduced schedules due to Covid-19 and Sony’s ability to reserve flights would be limited.
While manufacturing around the world is slowly ramping back up to modest production, it seems that Sony’s early production of PlayStation 5’s could help the company come in under its own imposed deadline despite mounting obstacles that could include a second wave of COVID-19 infections that would stop manufacturing again.
Sony could not be reached for comment or details, and its competitor Microsoft has been mum on its own production other than hinting at fewer units being ordered due to the pandemic.