Sony is rumored to be experiencing hardware problems with the PlayStation 5 (PS5) which might delay the release of the next-generation console.
Introducing the PlayStation 5
Sony has finally revealed the official name of their newest console: Playstation 5. While no launch date has yet been announced, Sony has said that the highly anticipated gaming console will be available “in time for Holiday 2020.”
Just recently, the company hosted a livestream that highlighted a number of technical details of the new gaming console as well as introducing the DualSense controller.
Rumored hardware problems
With this, it would seem that despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems like nothing is stopping Sony from releasing the PS5 during the holiday season this year.
Here are some reasons why it shouldn’t.
The PS5 may be experiencing some hardware issues according to Daniel Rubino, the executive director of Windows Central. Rubino had shared a comment from self-proclaimed industry insider Jeff Rickel that showed Sony is uncertain how the PS5 will perform.
FUD or legit concerns about Sony's PlayStation 5 having issues?
Anyone following this stuff, talking to game devs and people in-the-know have been hearing similar rumblings for months now. This just summarize it well.
Sony may have overshot (and underestimated) Microsoft. pic.twitter.com/geUAsE4oBB
— Daniel Rubino (@Daniel_Rubino) April 2, 2020
According to Rickel, Sony’s underestimation of Microsoft has led them to rush the development of the PS5 which caused them to mess up the form factor of the upcoming next-gen gaming console.
This caused the hardware to fail at an “alarming rate” with the console unable to maintain its clock speed and has become subject to heating problems.
In his tweet, Rubino said that the issues specified by Rickel had long been speculated by game developers and insiders for months.
Hardware problems are definitely not good for business which is why Sony should take time to redesign the console and fix the issues before launching it on the market.
Unprecedented PS4 sales
There is an ongoing resurgence in PS4 sales thanks to the coronavirus outbreak. Gaming and tech enthusiasts have long been putting off buying new consoles in favor of the upcoming next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
However, with the enforcement of lockdowns and social distancing protocols, people had been looking for ways to keep their minds off the pandemic and many of them have turned to gaming. This caused a surge in the sales of existing game consoles such as the PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
In fact, gaming consoles are now short in supply with many inventories and retail outlets running out of stock. Sony should take advantage of this situation and focus on selling the PS4 instead.
Unreceptive audience
Once the spread of the COVID-19 slows down and the world starts running again, one can only imagine the struggles that the global economy would face.
Consumers may not receive a new and expensive gaming console as warmly as they would in other circumstances.
With the International Monetary Fund already announcing a recession that could be worse than the 2008 Global Recession, releasing a new console may not be a good idea.
Image courtesy of Pixabay/StockSnap.