More than a year after launching and finding a PS5 restock remains a rather thankless task. Over the past 14 months, Sony has struggled seriously to supply enough units to meet the intense demand for the machine. The gaming giant’s latest fix to the next-gen console inventory crunch appears to be trying to sell customers a PS4 instead.
According to a new Bloomberg report, Sony originally planned to stop production of the PS4 last year, but reserved that decision and will continue to manufacture the console until 2022. It is expected that around one million PS4 consoles will be produced this year in an effort to ease some of the pressure on PS5 production.
It is believed that producing more PS4 consoles will also allow Sony to negotiate better deals with its manufacturing partners, which will make PS5 production run more smoothly. Regarding this news, a Sony spokesperson said: “[PS4] is one of the best-selling consoles of all time and there is always a cross between the generations.
The PS4 was originally released in November 2013 and has sold 116 million units to date. That ranks it as the second best-selling home console of all time, behind just the PS2 which sold a roughly untouchable 155 million units.
Despite the persistent shortage of supply, the The PS5 is the best-selling console in history. The next-gen console has sold around 14 million units through 2021 and overtakes the PS4 at a comparative point in the lifecycle of each console. Industry expectations are that when the book is closed on both consoles, the PS5 will have overtaken its predecessor.
Even with the launch of the PS5, the PS4 remains a fairly attractive console. Not only does the console have a full library of fantastic software, the next Sony proprietary exclusives including Horizon: Forbidden West, Gran Turismo 7, and God of War Ragnarok will launch on PS4 and PS5. Not to mention the highly anticipated third-party titles like Hogwarts Legacy and Elden Ring will also be available on both platforms.
Of course, the PS4’s Day in the Sun is (slowly) drawing to a close and there’s a slew of games on the horizon that will be exclusively for next-gen systems, plus a few already available including Returnal and Demon’s Souls. Buying a PS4 instead of a PS5 is definitely a short term solution. But if you desperately want a new console right now, the PS4 is certainly the most readily available machine and is understandably cheaper than its successor (although prices are rising).
If only a next-gen console does the trick, be sure to bookmark our PS5 replenishment hub. This comprehensive guide to buying a PS5 is updated daily with news and updates. We can’t guarantee you’ll get a PS5, but it will certainly make finding the coveted Sony console a bit easier.
