For those of you who have been struggling to get a PlayStation 5 console, perhaps Sony has a solution for you, and it’s rumored to be coming next year.
(Photo : (Photo by Kyodo News via Getty Images))
Undated photo shows Sony’s next-generation PlayStation 5 video game console to be launched on Nov. 12, 2020, with its digital-oriented version without a disc drive (L) priced at $399.99, or 39,980 yen, and the other model equipped with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive (C) at $499.99, or 49,980 yen.
WCCFTech states that Sony plans to have the PlayStation 5 undergo a small yet important hardware redesign, alleged to come by next year. The information comes from a Taiwanese website, which also says Sony is contracting TSMC to produce the redesigned PlayStation 5 consoles starting Q2 2022.
In a GamesRadar report, Sony cites the global semiconductor shortage (no surprise) as one of the main reasons for the decision. But perhaps there is also a silver lining in this. Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki states that a hardware remake might be able to help improve supply in the future.
Read also: Sony PlayStation 5 Sales Reach 7.8 Million: What Exactly Is Driving This Success?
New Hardware Equals More Supply?
The PlayStation 5 is equipped with pretty top-of-the-line hardware that’s comparable to a high-end gaming PC. If not for the exorbitant price markups brought by the current shortage, the system could’ve offered a serious bang-for-the-buck at its original $499 launch price.
According to PCGamesN, its basic specs include a custom 8-core, 16-thread Zen 2 processor from AMD, which is more or less similar to a Ryzen 7 3700X. As for graphics, it has an RDNA2-based GPU that performs almost identical to an RX 5700XT. Lastly, it has 16GB of GDDR6 memory to fill out the entire system.
(Photo : Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Lisa Su, president and chief executive officer of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), holds a 3rd generation Ryzen desktop processor while speaking during a keynote session at the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019. Su said that the Radeon VII would go on sale next month, and that the 7-nanometer Epyc and Ryzen desktop CPUs would be released in mid-2019.
With next year’s planned redesign, Sony aims to outfit the new PlayStation 5 with a new “semi-customized” AMD CPU made on a smaller 6nm node (the previous one is a 7nm). This means that the processor might feature better performance because it can be packed with more transistors in a smaller area.
Furthermore, the “semi-custom” nature of the chip could also mean that it’s even closer to a retail AMD Zen-based chip in terms of architecture. No extensive custom work means no extra cost. And with no extra cost comes the likelihood of improved supply because the new PlayStation 5 would be cheaper to make.
Now that would be the dream, wouldn’t it? A better-performing PS5 that’s not out of stock. Sign us up!
In The Meantime, Be Content With Restock Updates
It’s important to note that the redesign is still a rumor, one to be taken with a grain of salt. For now, Sony technically has no reason to rework their current-gen console because it sold fairly well. The only sensible upgrade they could give the PlayStation 5 right now is more storage and better fan speeds since next-gen games are getting bigger and much more demanding to the hardware.
As for restocks, NewsWeek is among those who are keeping track, but it’s still not looking good. The console is still out of stock at Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, and GameStop, all of which haven’t been restocked in months. Newegg has had a little better luck by having bundles for a few weeks, but they also haven’t replenished those yet. Though some predictions say, Walmart and Best Buy will be among the stores to get new stocks first in the coming months.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll be among those who get lucky when the restocks hit.
(Photo : (Photo by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images))
HONG KONG, CHINA – 2021/01/21: Japanese video gaming system brand created and owned by Sony Computer Entertainment, PlayStation 5, is seen at its official store in Hong Kong.
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Written by RJ Pierce
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