PS5 to Surpass PS4 Install Base in Year 4 as Sony Considers More PC and Mobile PlayStation Titles

Sony said it plans to increase production of its PlayStation 5 console as supply chain grumbling subsides, and signaled a radical expansion of its games portfolio, including more titles on desktop and mobile.

The PS5, which went on sale in November 2020, undersold its predecessor in its second year due to component shortages that rocked the electronics industry. But it’s expected to close the gap in year three and top the PS4 install base the following year.

Beyond the initial ramp-up, “we anticipate significant further increases in console production, taking us to production levels we’ve never reached before,” said Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan, during an investor briefing.

As China’s COVID-19 lockdowns continue to create supply chain uncertainty, “things are definitely looking up,” Ryan added.

Sony has forecast PS5 sales of 18 million units in the fiscal year to the end of March, up from 11.5 million a year earlier.

Describing a shift in PlayStation away from just focusing on platform-exclusive single-player games, Ryan said more PC and mobile titles will be offered in addition to live service games, which offer updated gameplay. continuously.

While PS4 and PS5 titles are expected to account for more than two-thirds of releases this year, PC and mobile titles will account for nearly half of new games in 2025.

“Initiatives to expand our audience … will have a fundamental effect on the shape of our game portfolio,” Ryan said.

With this change, PlayStation aims to keep pace with the evolution of the industry which has seen cloud technology and the increased computing power of smartphones detach users from bulky hardware and more money spent by gamers in titles. free online.

Amid much speculation that the Metaverse, or the idea that users will spend more time in simulated environments, will upend industry business models, Ryan said many consumers will continue to play games as before. .

“There will be many, many individual gamers who prefer to enjoy games the way they’ve played them for the past 30 years or more,” Ryan said.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

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