Elijah Gonzalez 
According to Bloomberg, Sony expects that the ongoing supply issues surrounding the PlayStation 5 may extend into next year. In an internal briefing with analysts, the company confirmed that they will unlikely be able to keep up with demand for their new system due to an ongoing global parts shortage.
Sony’s Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki told the analysts, “I don’t think demand is calming down this year and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldn’t be able to catch up with demand.”
These production issues coincide with a global semiconductor shortage indirectly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, among other factors. As billions worldwide abide by pandemic procedures, demand for electronics has increased, resulting in production bottlenecks across various industries. AMD, which produces the chips used for the PS5, Xbox, and PCs, previously stated that chip shortages could extend well into 2021, but that they were planning on increasing capacity in the second half of the year. However, Sony’s more recent claims imply that despite these production increases, shortages for their console will likely continue for the foreseeable future.
Despite these production issues, the PlayStation 5 has become the fastest-selling console in U.S. history over its first five months, selling 7.8 million units through March 31. Sony is aiming to sell an additional 14.8 units during this fiscal year.
