New version of the PS5 has appeared – Sony’s secret weapon against the hardware shortage?
PlayStation manufacturer Sony has apparently had parts certified for a new PS5 model. After ambitious announcements about the planned sales of the PlayStation 5, a customized model could be the Japanese manufacturer’s secret weapon.
What has emerged now? A certification for PlayStation maker Sony has been discovered on a Japanese government website. It is about an adapted radio system in the device (via tele.soumu.go.jp).
The stored type name is “CFI-1200 series”. This matches the previous PS5 model numbering – CFI-1XXX and CF-11XX. An excerpt of the certificate can be found on Twitter:
What does that mean? Since there is no further official information about a new model so far, that could mean a lot at the moment. Even with the last new model in September 2021, Sony was silent about the release.
At that time, cooling elements were replaced and the new console version was a good 300 grams lighter.
However, there is a sentence from Hiroki Totoki, Sony’s CFO, that makes you sit up and take notice. At a recent Q&A on Sony’s financial results in relation to a possible microchip shortage by 2024, he said:
“[…] in different areas… we changed our sourcing source and among other things we also changed our design. So we were able to deal with that. So for parts procurement, I think we have good prospects” – via videogameschronicle.com.
Sony senior official Totoki wasn’t directly referring to the PS5. However, together with the discovery of the “CFI-1200 series”, there are increasing indications of possible changes to the console in order to partially overcome the current hardware shortage.
It cannot be ruled out that the new series could be a possible PS5 Slim / Pro, but it is more unlikely. At the moment it points more to a normal PS5 version, the inner workings of which are being rebuilt a bit.
Why is a new model needed? In a recent report on PS5 sales, Sony said they shipped around 11.5 million consoles in their 2021 fiscal year. Sony’s financial year always ends in March.
For the financial year 2022, i.e. by March 2023, the manufacturer wants to sell another 18 million units. And even if graphics card prices slowly fall again – chip manufacturer Intel expects further bottlenecks until at least 2024.
Sony may see a chance to use better available components by changing its hardware. Or they see the possibility of involving other manufacturers.
It won’t be easy. Many of the parts affected by the bottleneck are high-tech goods that require a lot of know-how and extremely high manufacturing standards.
However, the PS5’s “CFI-1200 series” may be exactly the secret weapon that is supposed to ensure the 18 million deliveries.
If you are still looking for a PS5 in the financial year 2022, then check our ticker regularly: PS5 Ticker 2022 – Where can you buy a PS5 now?
Reference-mein-mmo.de