PlayStation 5 Consoles Limited to Six Million Units During Launch

The launch of the PlayStation 5 home console might not be as smooth as Sony would like. Recent reports are claiming that the next-gen home console will be limited to six million units at launch.

This information comes from anonymous sources at Bloomberg. They claim that Sony and their manufacturing partners are limiting production of the PlayStation 5 to between five and six million units by March 2021. With a projected launch of the holiday 2020, this limits the number to the console's first two financial quarters.

To compare, the PS4 sold 7.5 million units in its first two quarters.

So why the reduced quantity? Sources say that it isn't because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but because of the higher price tag the console is expected to have. The PS5 is currently estimated to have an MSRP of between $499 and $549 at launch, This is at least $100 more than the PS4 was when it launched and Sony expects this price increase to reflect in consumer demand.

While unpleasant to hear, as a consumer, we understand why the price is as high as it is. Earlier this year, it was revealed that each PlayStation 5 console costs about $450 to produce, leaving a marginally small amount left to cover other expenses and profits.

It's also worth noting that, while this is a higher-than-trendy price, it's not outside of the norm for home consoles. The PlayStation 3 was $499 at launch, and when you account for inflation, the original PlayStation's $299 price tag is equal to about $475 in today's money. Just last generation, the Xbox One initially sold for $499, itself. Technology is expensive, especially when it needs to be powerful enough to meet the level of quality that modern gamers are expecting.

Either way, if you're looking to get a PS5 near launch, you best save up and act fast. We might experience shortages if demand is high enough.