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Sony aims to sell 18 million PlayStation 5 consoles in the fiscal year ending in March 2023.
Thiago Prudencio LightRocket | getty images
Sony Interactive Entertainment said Tuesday it will lay off about 900 employees at its PlayStation unit, or 8% of its global workforce, becoming the latest technology company to announce headcount cuts.
Jim Ryan, the unit’s president and CEO, said in an email to employees released publicly: “After careful consideration and numerous leadership discussions over many months, it has become clear that the best way to continue the business and grow the company is to “Changes need to be made.” company.
He said that employees from all areas of the company will be affected by this layoff. PlayStation’s London studio will be closed completely, with several other studios affected as well.
The Japanese gaming giant cut its sales forecast for its flagship PlayStation 5 console on February 14, after warning of low demand. Sony said at the time that it expected to sell 21 million units of the PS5 in the fiscal year ending in March, down from a previous forecast of around 25 million consoles.
The company’s shares fell sharply after the forecast cut was announced.
Analysts had speculated that Sony might release a refreshed version of the PlayStation 5 this year to boost interest in the console.
– CNBC Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story and is being updated.
