Sony will increase PS5 production and widen its games portfolio

Sony Group Corp said it intends to increase production of its PlayStation 5 console as supply chain growls ease and signalled an extreme widening of its games portfolio including more titles for PC and mobile.

The PS5, which went on sale in November 2020, undersold its predecessor in its second year because of component shortages that have bothered the electronics industry. In any case, it is expected to close the gap in year three and overtake PS4’s install base the next 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 keep on making the supply chain uncertain, “things are definitely improving,” he added.

Sony has forecast PS5 sales of 18 million units in the business year to end-March contrasted with 11.5 million a year sooner.

Illustrating a shift by PlayStation away from simply focusing on single-player games exclusive to its platform, Ryan said more PC and mobile titles will be on offer notwithstanding live service games, which give continuously updated play.

While PS4 and PS5 titles are expected to make up more than 66% of releases this year, PC and mobile titles will make up close to 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 meaning to stay up with industry change that has seen cloud technology and the expanded computing power of smartphones untether users from bulky hardware and more cash spent by gamers on free-to-play online titles.

Amid much speculation that the metaverse, or the idea users will spend more time in simulated environments, will overturn industry business models, Ryan said numerous customers will keep on playing games as before.

“There will be many, many individual players who prefer to enjoy games in the way that they have played them for the past 30 years or more,” he said.