Sony Interactive Entertainment has registered a new PlayStation 5 model in Japan, indicating that a new PS5 model is in the works.
The new gear, which got approval from Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (through VGC) in April, is designed to meet the most recent radio and wireless communication equipment requirements. Sony has altered the PS5 internally before, with the initial edition removing some weight from the system and adding a thumbscrew to the base stand. This CFI-1102A model also has a smaller heatsink.
In other PS5 news, Sony just reported that PS5 sales have surpassed 19 million units. Sony sold 2 million PS5 consoles in the fourth quarter, down from 3.3 million the previous year. Looking ahead, Sony anticipates considerable growth for the PS5, which might indicate that the existing PS5 shortages are abating.
Sony had already decreased the weight of the original PS5 model in 2021, as well as adding a second thumbscrew so consumers could attach the base stand without the need for a screwdriver.
Sony will be trying to maintain the momentum gained by the PS5 after its first release in November 2020, despite serious supply concerns hampering manufacturing. If history is any guide, the newest model might hit shop shelves in Japan in a few months before making its way to Europe, Australia, and ultimately the United States.
It’s absolutely conceivable that the redesign is still in the works and will not be released until next year, but there’s a year and a half between the registration of this model and the release that would fulfil the PS4 Pro timeframe. Furthermore, it’s just been a year and a half since the first PS5 debut, and while a PS5 Pro or similar product may be under development at PlayStation, having a PS5 Pro registered in Japan seems a little early in the console’s life cycle.
Sony said on Tuesday that it supplied 11.5 million PS5 systems during its fiscal year that ended in March 2022, falling short of its initial target of 14.8 million consoles by more than three million devices owing to parts shortages.
However, the business stated that it plans to sell roughly 18 million consoles during its current fiscal year, which ends in March 2023.
