Sony plans to release the PS5 at the end of the year, but this next-generation gaming console may be hard to find when it hits store shelves.

That's because PS5 supply may be limited, Bloomberg reports. According to sources familiar with Sony's PlayStation production, the company will not produce as many units of the new console at launch as it did for the PS4.

According to Bloomberg's sources, Sony expects to produce 6 million units of the PS5 from its launch through March 2021. This means that if the PS5 proves as popular as the PS4, the PS5 could fall short; the PS4 sold 7.5 million units during the same period. It is also worth noting that Sony sold such a large number of PS4 units despite the PS4 launch delay.

Although the coronavirus outbreak caused problems on the promotional front for the PS5, it does not appear to have affected Sony's production plans or ability to produce millions of consoles. Rather, the move to limit the number of consoles manufactured and shipped in the post-launch period may have something to do with price.

According to Bloomberg's sources, Sony does not believe that the PS5 will sell as many consoles as the PS4 due to the higher launch price of the next-generation console. Currently, the PS5 is expected to cost between $499 and $549, a noticeable jump from the PS4's $399 launch price; a $100 price increase is quite significant and may dampen the enthusiasm of PlayStation fans.

It was previously thought that the PS5 could be shockingly low priced, with leaks suggesting it could be around $396. However, this was based on a pre-order price quoted by Canadian retailer Play N Trade Vancouver Island, which appeared to be a placeholder price rather than a more specific number. Given the powerful hardware that Sony will include in the PS5, such as ultra-fast SSD storage and 3D audio capabilities, a higher price is not unexpected.

Behind this higher launch price rumor is the fact that the PS5 is set to cost more to produce than the PS4: the PS4 costs about $125 to produce, while the PS5 is likely to cost about $250, which would put it on par with Microsoft's Xbox Series X.

Microsoft's next-generation console is likely to cost around $499, but Xbox head Phil Spencer said that Redmond's console "will not lose its position in power or price," as the Xbox Series X is already a more powerful console, Based on Spencer's statement, it could be priced lower than the PS5.

Sony has already been burned once with a higher-priced console; the PS3 cost $500 at launch, but it was completely defeated by the cheaper Xbox 360. Microsoft suffered the same problem with the launch version of the Xbox One, which came with the Kinect accessory by default and cost $500.

Nevertheless, Sony seems to have a price and launch strategy in place and does not believe that the PS5 will sell as well as the PS4, at least initially. We will have to wait and see if Sony's decision is correct or if the Xbox will come out on top in the next generation console war.