Sony has confirmed a significant change in its supply chain for PlayStation 5 consoles sold in the United States. Speaking during the company’s financial briefing (via Genki_JPN) for the quarter ending June 30, 2025, Chief Financial Officer Lin Tao revealed that production of PS5 units for the US market has already been relocated from China to other countries in an effort to avoid the impact of US tariffs. The move marks a decisive step in mitigating trade-related cost pressures.
In addition to console manufacturing, Sony intends to shift the production of peripherals destined for the US market to outside China by the end of September 2025. Lin Tao stated, “So about gaming consoles, so we are diversifying our supply chain. As for consoles, we have already transferred the production. And if we include peripherals, so the transfer to outside China, we will be completing that by the end of the first half. Hardware sold in the US are now sourced outside China.”
When discussing PS5 pricing, Sony executives avoided giving specific details, noting that multiple factors would influence any decision. These include annual profit targets, lifetime customer value, sales volumes, projected content sales, and how the market responds to price changes. According to the company, pricing strategies will stay flexible to align with wider business goals.
The announcement comes amid a broader strategic transformation for Sony’s gaming division. Senior Vice President Sadahiko Hayakawa explained during the same briefing that the company is moving away from a hardware-focused business model toward one centered on community engagement and platform services. This shift has been gradually unfolding in recent years, most visibly when PlayStation first-party exclusives began launching on PC.
Further evidence of this transition surfaced with a recent job listing for a Senior Director of Multiplatform and Account Management. The position, reporting directly to the Vice President of Commercial Management, is designed to lead PlayStation’s global commercial roadmap beyond its own hardware ecosystem. Responsibilities include managing the release of PlayStation Studios titles on platforms such as Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox, Nintendo, and mobile, signaling an even greater commitment to reaching players across diverse ecosystems.
This two-part approach—streamlining manufacturing to manage costs while expanding its gaming ecosystem—shows Sony’s effort to strengthen both its physical and digital market positions in an increasingly competitive industry.
