A new report claims semiconductor suppliers, TSMC included, have started preparations for a PlayStation 5 redesign that will enter production around mid-2022; the changes are likely internal only, however. As some may recall, the first of the PS4 redesigns went to market in 2015, most notably offering a more power efficient version of the 2013 hardware.
PlayStation 4 Slim, whose September 2016 release was quickly followed up by the PS4 Pro's arrival that November. Tradition dictates that PS5 will eventually receive similar redesigns at least a few years into the system's lifecycle. The console manufacturer's internal plans on this front may change as the generation goes on, especially when considering how the current supply constraints on semiconductors have affected the tech industry as a whole. Yet, the word is that Sony may already have a redesign of some sort in the works.
A report from Taiwanese publication AMD, effectively supplanting the 7nm chip currently housed in the console. The changes may only impact the system's inner workings, meaning an external overhaul doesn't constitute a part of this specific redesign.
All of the above suggests Sony is actively focused on improving the efficiency of PlayStation 5 on a hardware level. The company plans to employ other means of making the existing model work more efficiently, too. For example, firmware updates are capable of improving the console's fan. One such patch is rumored to arrive this summer, though Sony hasn't confirmed as much itself.
Due to the global semiconductor shortage, PS5 is no easier to find in stores or online. Things on this front aren't expected to improve this year, either. Yet, despite the difficulty of securing one, the latest PlayStation system continues to sell like hot cakes. Sales of the PlayStation 5 are already outpacing those of the PS4, having shifted 7.8 million units as of March 31, 2021. By comparison, the PS4 had reached 7.6 million in sales during the same timeframe early in its lifecycle several years ago.
Source: DigiTimes via Video Games Chronicle
