PlayStation 5 production raised to 10 million units as Sony tackles home entertainment demands caused by coronavirus

Back in April, it was reported that Sony had planned an initial production run of five to six million units for the upcoming PlayStation 5. However, new pieces from both the Nikkei Asian Review and Bloomberg have claimed that Sony has requested a considerable ramping up of production, with 10 million PS5 consoles now required by the end of the year. Five million of those are expected to be part of the initial sales stock when the PS5 is launched, while the other five million units should be delivered to retailers throughout 2021.

The two main reasons supposedly behind the considerable production increase have both been caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Firstly, it seems that more people being based at home will create an increase in the demand for home entertainment solutions, and obviously Sony wants to meet that demand with the PS5. Secondly, it also appears that the Japanese company is preparing for logistical difficulties, with coronavirus-related safety precautions making shipping a bigger problem than it was for previous console generations.

Unsurprisingly, Sony will be aware that there will be a huge demand for the PS5 upon launch, and even this costly production boost might not be sufficient enough to cover initial demand. At least the company has the impressive Kisarazu-based manufacturing plant with an automated assembly line that can apparently produce a PS5 console every 30 seconds, day and night, to assist with supply. Bloomberg reckons Sony will have five million consoles ready by September while the remaining five million units could be ready between October and December.