PS5 restock disaster — Sony may alter design to cope

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By Rory Mellon
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PS5 restocks won't be improving anytime soon

PS5
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Sony has bad news for gamers still hunting down PS5 restock. The tech giant doesn’t expect to be able to significantly increase its ability to manufacturer the PS5 any time soon and may even change the design of the in-demand console to solve the problem. 

VGC transcribed a Sony investor call that took place following the release of the company's annual earnings report where Sony CFO, Hiroki Totoki, said "we’re aiming for more sales volume than the PS4 [in its second year]. But can we drastically increase the supply? No, that’s not likely."

“The shortage of semiconductors is one factor, but there are other factors that will impact on the production volume. So, at present, we’d like to aim at [beating] second year sales of 14.8 million, which was the second year of PS4.” 

It’s unsurprising to see Totoki making reference to the ongoing global semiconductor shortage, as this chip crisis is causing manufacturing headaches in just about every industry. With all sorts of technology products affected, from video game consoles to electric vehicles. 

Totoki did suggest that Sony may be able to cope with the shortage by either finding a secondary resource to manufacture its consoles with or by even going as far as "changing the design" of the machine in order to circumvent the issue. 

While we don’t expect to see the PS5 undergo a major redesign anytime soon, it is interesting to hear that Sony is considering tweaking the console slightly in order to increase its ability to meet the overwhelming demand. 

Sony’s latest earnings report paints an overall very rosy picture for the PlayStation. Sony has sold 7.8 million PS5 consoles through March 31, which is more than the PS4 sold in its first fiscal year. It also reported total operating profits of $3.14 billion. The division is looking extremely healthy and remains one of the crown jewels in Sony’s portfolio. 

The news that the PS5 won’t be getting any easier to buy this side of Christmas will surely come as greatly frustrating to the thousands of gamers still desperate to secure a next-gen PlayStation. So if you want the chance to score one of these coveted machines, make sure to follow our PS5 restock guide for the latest stock information as we get it. 

Check PS5 restock right now

Rory Mellon
Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.