{"id":1231,"date":"2023-10-26T13:21:27","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T13:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/playstation-5-supply-issues-finally-fixed-after-three-years-says-sony\/"},"modified":"2023-10-26T13:21:27","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T13:21:27","slug":"playstation-5-supply-issues-finally-fixed-after-three-years-says-sony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/260web.com\/news\/playstation-5-supply-issues-finally-fixed-after-three-years-says-sony\/","title":{"rendered":"PlayStation 5 supply issues finally fixed after three years, says Sony"},"content":{"rendered":"

PlayStation 5 supply issues finally fixed after three years, says Sony<\/p>\n

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Supply chain problems that plagued the PlayStation 5 for three years have now been resolved, its maker Sony has said.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The global chip shortage which began in 2020 impacted industries from car manufacturing to credit cards.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Customers were frustrated at month-long waits for the PS5, with some queueing outside shops overnight, and others paying resellers sky-high prices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The shortages steadily resolved through 2023, and Sony said its supply chain is now completely fixed worldwide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That means the console is now not only readily available – but a surplus may lead to retailers competing for the sale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It comes as Sony boss Eric Lempel also said it had redesigned its PlayStation Plus subscription service, this week adding cloud gaming for PS5 games.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The gaming firm’s head of of business said players could also digitally cloud stream many of the games they already own physically.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Microsoft’s own subscription service, Game Pass, also allows players to stream some of the latest games.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sony’s announcement comes as Microsoft announced an aggressively cut-price deal for its Xbox console with three months of its subscription service bundled in, while Sony is focusing on hardware with a smaller PS5 coming soon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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In the video game sector all the major companies were affected by the chip shortage, and in 2022 scalpers were selling the PS5 at twice its retail price – despite this, the console increased in price by \u00a330 in stores.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Christopher Ding, head of gaming news site Gamesindustry.biz, said the improvement to supply was important after players were unable to buy the new console.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He said: “2022 was a particularly poor year for PS5, with sales down on the previous year due to a lack of available units.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Sony launched some big games in 2022… but these games were also released on PlayStation 4 because a large proportion of players were still gaming on the previous generation machine.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He said the shortage of PS5 consoles meant they had largely not been part of Black Friday deals in previous years, but he expected that to change this year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Black Friday is a sales event held on the last Friday of November each year intended to kickstart holiday shopping by offering people cut-price deals.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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PlayStation Portal ‘not a rival’<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Sony’s upcoming hardware also includes a handheld gaming device, the PlayStation Portal, and its Access Controller for disabled gamers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The PlayStation Portal is a cross between a controller and a screen, visually similar to a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck handheld PC.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But Mr Lempel said it was not a rival to either, with players required to own a PS5 to use it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“It’s a different proposition and really just something unique for the PlayStation audience,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It uses an internet connection to send signal from a game directly to the handheld device, rather than through a cable to a television. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Lempel confirmed to the BBC that players will not be able to stream games directly from PlayStation’s cloud gaming service onto the device.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He suggested it would benefit those who wanted to play games on their sofa while a partner watched TV, or to play games in a different room.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But he also confirmed it could be used while outside the home, so long as the internet signal was strong enough.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Access for disabled gamers<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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PlayStation will also be launching a controller for disabled gamers, which Mr Lempel called “a really special product”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Access Controller is a combination of different buttons, triggers and sticks that lets players create a set-up that suits their needs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It will be the second mainstream disability controller to reach the UK market, following Microsoft’s Adaptive Controller which released in 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Other manufacturers, such as Hori, have also developed accessible controllers, and in 2022 8BitDo made one for gamers with spinal muscular atrophy, after being contacted by a parent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But unlike Microsoft’s controller which works with both Xbox and PC, Sony’s controller will not work outside of PlayStation hardware.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Lempel said it was designed so disabled people could use the controller without needing the adjust the way they feel comfortable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“It’s really about bringing a PlayStation experience to an audience that may have found difficulty engaging with a PlayStation previously,” said Mr Lempel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“The amount of customization you can do with this controller is unique – right out of the box you’re given a lot of options.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“This is about configuring the controller for the way you want to play.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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