- According to a report from DigiTimes, the manufacturing of the PS5’s SoC is nearing the final stages.
- The chip will be delivered to downstream manufacturers later this month.
- Mass production heightens the risk of the final console design leaking unless Sony pre-empts with an official reveal shortly.
It’s only a matter of time before the final PS5 design leaks unless Sony reveals it first.
According to a report published by Chinese media outlet DigiTimes, the manufacturing process of the PS5’s system-on-a chip is nearing completion.
Sony to Ramp Up PS5 Production This Month
DigiTimes explains that according to a source familiar with the semi-conductor supply chain, the first batch of AMD’s bespoke chips will be delivered to downstream manufacturers by mid to late-June.
Back-end IC packaging and testing, which represents the final stage of the manufacturing process, starts next week. From there, production will ramp up in earnest from June, peaking in August, implying that Sony is on course to launch the next-gen PS5 by the end of 2020 as planned.
Sony is reportedly scaling back volume compared to the launch of PS4 due to an inflated price caused by costly components. Sources point to an initial production of 5 to 6 million units up to March 2021.
This is undoubtedly good news for anyone speculating that Sony may delay the launch of the console. Downstream manufacturers will soon be piecing together the final commercial version of the console. This transition to mass manufacturing does, however, mean that the likelihood of leaks rises exponentially.
Leaks Incoming
There’s a sense that unless Sony reveals the console design in the weeks ahead, a leak – which Sony is paranoid of – could beat the platform holder to the punch.
The Japanese giant planned to exhibit a selection of PS5 games this Thursday, June 4th, in a long-awaited showcase. Sony opted to cancel the event in the wake of the protests and unrest sweeping the US to avoid diverting attention away from ‘more important voices’ with the comparatively trivial matter of a video game console.
It was unclear whether Sony planned to reveal the console during the showcase, but today’s news suggests this would have been the case. Or short of that, Sony may have intended to unveil the console beforehand in a fashion similar to the low-key DualSense controller announcement in April.
It would be hard to feign surprise if Sony opts to reveal the PlayStation 5 shortly. Or alternatively, reschedules Thursday’s event by a matter of days to pre-empt the inevitable deluge of leaks.
Whether courtesy of leaks or Sony itself, we’ll soon know what the PS5 looks like.
This article was edited by Samburaj Das.
