Has the Sony PS5 already won the next-gen console war?

The PS5 is on track to launch this holiday season alongside the Xbox Series X, despite concerns earlier this year that the pandemic would have an impact on supply and production of the consoles - something that affected companies across the board, especially those with factories and suppliers in China.

Now it seems that Sony is feeling more confident, with news that it's ramping up production of the PlayStation 5, and is planning on having a total of 10 million units ready by the end of 2020.  

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Initially, Sony was reported to be limiting manufacture to just five or six million units at the start of the outbreak (via GamesIndustry.biz) which would have potentially resulted in shortages if demand was on par with the PS4; the current gen console sold 7.5 million units in its first two quarters. But with supply and production seemingly getting back to somewhere near normal, Sony is upping its order to a whopping 10 million units according to Bloomberg. 

The extra quantity can be attributed to the current state of affairs around the globe, with more people spending time at home - either out of concern or because of lockdown - and an anticipated second wave of COVID-19, which could see harsher restrictions imposed at either a local or national level that will see people relegated to the indoors once again. The quantity of DualSense controllers ordered has also been bumped up in line with the console orders.

Let's not forget that Sony also has a huge install base ready to tap into thanks to the PS4, which is the second-best selling console of all time, behind the PS2. Back in April, the number of units sold was floating around the 100 million mark. Microsoft stopped sharing its Xbox One sales figures some time ago, and its approach to the next generation seems less about having users upgrade to the Xbox Series X, and more about focusing on an ecosystem that allows players to play games across generations. 

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Xbox boss Phil Spencer has thrown a bit of shade towards Sony on that front already, saying that Microsoft doesn't want to "lock people away" from being able to experience games by touting console or platform exclusive titles. 

Sony, on the other hand, has a number of exclusives lined up already, as it did with the PS4's game library, including Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7, and seems confident that players will happily make the transition from the PS4 to the PS5. 

Sony may even succeed at luring over Xbox players with its slew of platform exclusive games, and the recent move to invest in Fortnite developer Epic Games shows that the company is already thinking ahead with regards to the studio's Unreal Engine 5, and Epic leading the way with its innovation and creation of online spaces that extend beyond just video games. 

Sony reportedly plans to have five million PS5 consoles ready by the end of September, with the remaining five million completed between October and December, so it should be able to keep up with demand. 

Now we just need to wait for PS5 pre-orders to open up, so we can make sure we get one in time for Christmas!    

Source: Bloomberg via GamesIndustry.biz