Over a year since their respective launches, Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S and Sony's PlayStation 5 are progressing with different strategies regarding their predecessors. While Sony previous indicated it planned to cease manufacturing new PlayStation 4 units, the company is reportedly continuing to produce PS4 Pros. This stands in direct contrast to Microsoft, which announced it was ending manufacturing of Xbox One to focus on the Series X|S -- and Sony's previous stance on console generations.
Reports surfaced in early 2021 that Sony intended to discontinue manufacturing a number of PS4 models in favor of prioritizing PS5 production. This tracked with Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan declaring prior to the PS5's launch that games made for the new console should take advantage of its hardware improvements, a statement many interpreted as a counterargument to Microsoft, which had announced plans to continue support for the Xbox One with cross-generational releases.
However, a lot has changed since then. Scarcity issues with the PS5 continue to be painfully obvious, and while consoles are not as hard to find as they were in late 2020, supplies are limited worldwide due to pandemic-stricken global supply chain issues. Because of this, the PS4 continues to outsell the PS5 in certain markets, while shipments of the new console were airlifted overseas to accommodate the 2021 holiday season demand.
Plus, while there have been some next-gen exclusive games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, major first-party titles like Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok are set to launch this year on both systems. Meanwhile, Sony has quietly continued manufacturing and supporting the PS4, with no indications of slowing down anytime soon. Additional reports note that the combination of continuing PS4 sales and supply chain issues in PS5 production informed this reversal, with Sony planning to manufacture approximately one million PS4 units over the course of 2022.
Similarly, the Xbox One saw a meteoric increase in sales in the face of the Series X|S' launch, but Microsoft began discontinuing certain models of the Xbox One by the end of 2020. This culminated in Microsoft discontinuing the manufacture of all Xbox One models by the start of 2022 as it redirects production in favor of the Series X|S, forging towards the current generation of its home console. This strategy aligns with Microsoft shutting down servers and ending online support for the Xbox 360 in favor of reinforcing the online support for the Series X|S, especially in light of Halo Infinite's launch.
Just as Sony has reversed course, this is a departure from Microsoft's original stance regarding its cross-gen strategy, with Microsoft going out of its way to reassure gamers that its first-party lineup launching on Series X|S would be available on Xbox One. While discontinuing the last-gen hardware does not mean plans have changed and that there won't be new games for the older system, it is surprising that Microsoft is the first one to pull the plug on its previous console given how it and Sony once differed on the subject of generations.
Of course, these decisions are taking place in the midst of unprecedented circumstances. Beyond that, there is a history of Sony changing up its console production and support strategies based on unexpected conditions affecting the gaming industry and consumer response. One notable example is when, just last year, Sony announced plans to close the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita store, to change course less than a month later due to fan outcry. Additionally, Sony continued manufacturing PlayStation 2 units until 2013 -- 13 years after the PS2's launch.
The next generation of home consoles is here, but considering the current state of the world and the supply chain, it's understandable that Sony and Microsoft are changing the strategies they had two years ago. By continuing support for the PS4, Sony is keeping the many gamers who still can't get their hands on a PS5 engaged, while Microsoft is adopting a different strategy, one that's more interested in pushing towards the future. Both certainly have their own respective merits, and neither affect game development itself. In the meantime, it'll be interesting to see how much longer Microsoft continues to provide online support for the Xbox One and when Sony will discontinue the PS4 for good.