Picking up a PS5 is going to be harder than we all thought. Here's why...

Gamers looking to pick up a PS5 during its launch period just got some disconcerting news

Sony PS5 PlayStation 5
(Image credit: ConceptCreator)

Hype for the Sony PS5 next-gen video game console has skyrocketed over the past couple of weeks thanks the official unveiling of its DualSense controller.

Passion for the PlayStation 5 has led gamers to not only quash what they believe is a "fear, uncertainty and doubt" attack on the system, but also to imagine just how special the PS5 could be in a series of interesting concept designs.

The design seen directly below, which was envisioned by talented tech designer Concept Creator, is no doubt the pick of the bunch so far.

Unfortunately, though, it looks like picking up a PS5 console during its launch window could actually be harder than any of us envisioned.

The revelation comes courtesy of respected news site Bloomberg, which reports that:

"Sony Corp. plans to produce far fewer units of its upcoming PlayStation 5 in its first year than it had for the previous-generation console’s launch, according to people familiar with the matter."

According to those people familiar with the matter, Sony is only going to produce "5 to 6 million units of the PS5 in the fiscal year ending March 2021", which is markedly lower than the production run the PlayStation 4 got in the same period, with 7.5 million PS4s shipped.

Even more worrying, no doubt, for many gamers, also comes the news in the report that the PS5 is also going to come with a "loftier price tag", with "game developers who've been creating titles for the next PlayStation" anticipating that "its price to be in the region of $499 to $549".

It seems therefore that either through scarcity of consoles, or through comparatively expensive pricing (the PS4 debuted in the US at $399), grabbing a PS5 during its launch window is going to be harder than we all thought.

If demand for the PS5 remains at a ravenous fever pitch, as it is now, and despite the higher price, then store shelves could be left stripped bare of the next-gen console, with online auction house scalpers charging even more for the system.

Or if the current economic downturn worldwide continues to have a negative effect on people's finances, a new console that rings in for half a grand could be beyond many gamers reach at launch.

Here at T3 we hope PS5 stocks remains high throughout its launch period, and its pricing remains reachable to gamers, as judging from everything we know about the console so far it looks like a beast of a system that is going to run some truly jaw-dropping PS5 games.

Robert Jones

Rob has been writing about computing, gaming, mobile, home entertainment technology, toys (specifically Lego and board games), smart home and more for over 15 years. As the editor of PC Gamer, and former Deputy Editor for T3.com, you can find Rob's work in magazines, bookazines and online, as well as on podcasts and videos, too. Outside of his work Rob is passionate about motorbikes, skiing/snowboarding and team sports, with football and cricket his two favourites.