Unfortunately, it won’t get any easier to buy a PlayStation 5 in the coming weeks and months. Sony is lowering its forecast for how many PS5s it plans to ship by over 3 million units.
The company’s original goal was to churn out 14.8 million PS5 units during fiscal 2021, which ends on March 31. But on Wednesday, Sony revised the forecast to 11.5 million units.
In an earnings call, the company blamed the ongoing chip shortage and disruptions in the global supply chain, which is causing an “increase in delivery times.”
“Limitations on the supply of components are expected to continue going forward,” Sony added. “But we are continuing to exert every effort to meet the strong demand for PS5.”
Not helping the matter is how scalpers continue to snatch up PS5 supplies from retailers. On eBay, third-party sellers are still offering the console for $200 to $300 over the normal price, despite the holiday sales boom ending. (For tips on nabbing a PS5, check out our guide.)
During the earnings call, the company also talked about its decision to buy Bungie, the gaming studio behind the original Halo games and the Destiny franchise. A big question is whether future games from Bungie will become PlayStation exclusives. This could help the company compete against the Xboxm especially as Microsoft is working to buy Activision Blizzard.
However, Sony noted in the earnings call: “Bungie will operate as an independent studio and will continue to publish its content on platforms other than PlayStation.” Instead, one of the company’s main goals in buying Bungie is to use the game studio’s expertise in developing online multiplayer titles for both consoles and PCs. Through Bungie, Sony plans to launch “more than 10 live service games by the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026.”
“In addition, we view the deployment of our game IP on multiple platforms as a major growth opportunity for Sony, as has been evidenced by the success of the PC versions of God of War and other first party games,” Sony added. “Through this acquisition, we intend to acquire new users and increase engagement on platforms other than PlayStation.”
