Sony plans to sell 18 million PS5 consoles this year — but there's a catch

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COVID-19 lockdowns in China may affect sales

PS5 Midnight Black and Cosmic Red colors
(Image credit: Sony)

Sony wants to sell 18 million PS5 consoles this year thanks to component supplies and encouraging game sales, but it may not go according to plan if more lockdowns take place in China to stop the spread of COVID-19.

As reported by Reuters, Sony's chief financial officer Hiroki Totok stated that the company "can procure enough components for 18 million units." Last year, the PS5 claimed the title of the fastest-selling console in US history and has reportedly sold 11.5 million units, despite console shortages. Now, Sony aims to sell even more, but it depends on whether further lockdowns in China take place. 

While Sony is apparently expecting unit profits to fall by 12%, other gaming services such as its new, upcoming PlayStation Plus subscription — set to arrive this June — and big acquisition with Halo creator Bungie are set to see significant returns. Plus, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan stated the Bungie acquisition is the first of "many more moves."

Earlier this year, GamesIndustry.biz's Christopher Dring tweeted some highlights from the interview, with Ryan stating that "we should absolutely expect more" acquisitions in the future. This allows Sony to expand its services, which includes going multiplatform and to pan out its "aggressive road map with live services." 

These upcoming services, and even new PSVR 2 hardware, may finally be available to more consumers if Sony achieves making 18 million PS5 units. Many have experienced the results of the ongoing chip shortage, including keeping their eyes on PS5 stock watches or overspending thanks to PS5 scalpers. This year, however, it seems we'll see more PS5 up for grabs — if everything goes according to plan.

Sony previously confirmed PS5 consoles would remain in short supply in 2021, but we may now see a boost in production. We're interested to see what's next for Sony, and how the PSVR compared to its upcoming PSVR 2. 

Darragh Murphy
Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.