By Manskar
Sony warned that it’s struggling to meet demand for the hot-selling game console as it grapples with a shortage of computer chips.
The Japanese tech giant said it has to compete with a wide range of other companies for the semiconductors used to make the PS5, such as automakers and smartphone firms.
“It is difficult for us to increase production of the PS5 amid the shortage of semiconductors and other components,” Sony chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki said at a press briefing.
Despite the production woes, Sony said it sold 4.5 million PS5 consoles from its November launch through the end of December. That performance was on par with the PlayStation 4’s 2013 launch, which moved 4.5 million units in its first quarter on the market, Sony said.
Sony said it’s on track to meet its goal of selling more than 7.6 million PS5s by the end of March even though it hasn’t “been able to fully meet the high level of demand from customers.”
The $499 consoles have been hard to find since pre-orders sold out within hours in September. Scalpers tried to hawk the consoles for thousands of dollars on eBay after they officially hit stores.
“We continue to do everything in our power to ship as many units as possible to customers who are waiting for a PS5,” Sony said in its Wednesday earnings report.
Sony’s New York-listed shares jumped as much as 10 percent to $109.48 on Wednesday after the company raised its profit outlook thanks in part to the strength of its gaming unit.
Sony now expects to post an operating profit of 940 billion yen (about $9 billion) for the year ending March 31, with 340 billion yen (some $3.2 billion) coming from the game and network services segment.
