Sony confirmed on Wednesday that even more PlayStation 5 consoles will be available from retailers during the holiday season, which the company has called the “biggest” launch ever.
Without specific numbers, we have no idea what that means – the company can refer to how many consoles consumers actually bought, the so-called sales, or the less impressive number of consoles that are simply bought by retailers. It is difficult to say without context or specifics.
We want to thank gamers everywhere for making the PS5 our biggest console demo yet. Demand for the PS5 has never been seen, so we wanted to confirm that another PS5 set will arrive at retailers before the end of the year – please stay in touch with local retailers.
– PlayStation (@PlayStation) November 25, 2020
Regardless, it’s no secret that the PS5 and its competitors, the Xbox Series X / St, are currently very hard to find. Microsoft revealed earlier this month that both new Xbox consoles will suffer from a significant supply shortage by next spring. This is due in part to the fact that retail stores are messy and inconsistent, and the scalps treated with sticks in the stock accumulate the stock within a short period of time, after which Target or Walmart eventually replenish the stock.
Probably also because these devices are difficult to manufacture, although neither Microsoft nor Sony offered much insight into how many units were prepared for launch or even expected to be shipped and sold before 2021. So these devices might be hard to find because these companies just aren’t designed well enough and Sony’s “unprecedented” demand for the PS5 far exceeds the supply. This is another reminder that the gaming industry seems quite unsuitable for selling hardware for a number of reasons.
So if you’re still searching for the PS5, you know Sony is promising more units over the next month. But there isn’t much to offer as advice, just “keep in touch with local retailers”.
