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Sony's robot army can build a PS4 in just 30 seconds as company prepares for launch of PlayStation 5

A production line of 32 robots currently makes the PlayStation 4 console

Adam Smith
Tuesday 07 July 2020 12:23 BST
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Getty Images
Getty Images

Getting a PlayStation 5 console at launch could be easier than expected, as Sony is currently turning out PlayStation 4 consoles at a rate of one every 30 seconds.

An insight into Sony’s factory on the outskirts of Kisarazu, Japan, shows dozens of robots able to manufacturer the console.

Only four humans are necessary on site: two to feed the motherboards into the production line, and two to package the finished console.

The line, according to an article in the Nikkei Asian Review, is 31.4 meters long.

Twenty-six robots attach wires, tape, and the other flexible parts of the console.

While this may be a simple task for a human, it is distinctly complex for a robot.

“There's probably no other site that can manipulate robots in this manner,” said an engineer.

The ability of the PlayStation to be mass produced reportedly comes from the design of the original console, in December 1994.

Designer Teiyu Goto focused on crafting a system that could easily be manufactured in great volumes.

This insight into Sony’s PlayStation production comes as a photo, allegedly from the PlayStation 5 production line, was uploaded to the ResetEra forums.

Despite the automated capabilities of the company, however, Sony reportedly believes that the PlayStation 5 will not be as popular as its previous incarnations.

It is limiting the initial production because it thinks the high price will put off early buyers. It has been speculated the console will cost approximately $550.

A final price has not yet been decided.

Moreover, while Sony has shown off the games that will be launching on the new console, we still do not know yet when the console will be hitting shelves.

The only information Sony has provided is that the console will arrive in “Holiday 2020”.

Upcoming titles include Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Resident Evil VIII: Village, Horizon Forbidden West, a sequel to Horizon: Zero Dawn, as well as a sequel to the Ratchet and Clank games and a Demon’s Souls remake.

Some new IPs were also announced, such as a first person action game from Bethesda Softworks called Deathloop and a space thriller called Returnal.

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