To deal with the ongoing global PlayStation 5 shortage, Sony has allegedly decided to produce more PlayStation 4s than it had initially planned to help "fill the supply vacuum and keep gamers within the PlayStation ecosystem."
As reported by Bloomberg, sources say Sony has told assembly partners that it is planning to produce PS4s throughout 2022 despite having plans to "discontinue assembly at the end of 2021."
This strategy would add roughly one million PS4s to help with the fact that it can't produce enough PS5s due to the global chip shortage that is impacting so many parts of the tech world thanks to challenges that have arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This number could be adjusted based on demand and the decision was said to be reached because, "the older console uses less advanced chips, is simpler to make and provides a budget-friendly alternative to the PS5."
According to a Sony official who asked to remain anonymous, this strategy is meant to "fill the supply vacuum and keep gamers within the PlayStation ecosystem."
Furthermore, increasing the production of PS4 consoles appears to give Sony "more leeway when negotiating with manufacturing partners for a better deal."
Sony has confirmed to Bloomberg that PS4 production would continue throughout 2022, but it has also denied that it was planning on discontinuing the assembly of its previous console.
"It is one of the best-selling consoles ever and there is always crossover between generations,” A Sony spokesperson said.
For more on PlayStation, check out our look at what we can expect from Sony in 2022 and our picks for the 10 best PS5 games.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.