Sony's new-generation PS5 game console shipments are estimated to reach at least 120 million units in the next five years after launch in fourth-quarter 2020, roughly double those for Microsoft's Xbox series X, according to sources of its backend supply chain in Taiwan.
The life cycle for household game consoles may be shortened to five years from 6-7 years, and PS5 shipments may challenge 120-170 million units when its 5-year cycle expires, compared to 110 million units registered to date for PS4 launched in November 2013, the sources said, adding that Sony has recently boosted its PS5 shipment estimate for 2020 to near 10 million units.
AMD-designed processors for the device fabricated by TSMC on its 7nm node and packaged by ASE Technology and Siliconeware Precision Industries (SPIL) with its FCBGA process are already being delivered to Sony, and shipments of peripheral chipsets are expected to peak later in the third quarter to support first wave of terminal sales in the fourth quarter, the sources continued.
Taiwan's chipmaker ZillTek Technology and China's AAC Technologies now share Sony's orders for handle controller chips for PS5, and another two Taiwanese IC designers Nuvoton Technology and Genesys Logic are supplying MCUs and USB hub controllers, respectively, for the device, with Greatek Electronics as their backend partner. Meanwhile, Phison Electronics reportedly has also cut into PS5 supply chain with its SSD controller chips packaged by Taiwan's OSE, the sources added.
