Last November, Sony released the PS5, which has been one of the hottest gaming products in the market today. Of course, much of the PS5's success stemmed from the PlayStation's long history that brought players the latest games and sought-after exclusives titles. Now, in an unrelated event, McDonald's started to include a special edition pack of Pokemon TCG cards with every Happy Meal in celebration of Pokemon's 25th anniversary.
Although it is unusual for players to link the PS5 and the Pokemon cards released by McDonald's together, it appears that both products are now linked by a common denominator: scalpers. Since their respective launch, both the demand for the PS5 and the Pokemon cards by McDonald's surged, prompting some folks to take advantage of the situation by purchasing them and selling them at a higher price. Here is a brief overview of the PS5 and Pokemon cards' scalping situation and what Sony and McDonald's have to say about the situation.
The State of the PS5
Without a doubt, the PS5 is one of Sony's most successful launches for a video game console. Even before the PS5 officially hit shelves last November, pre-orders for the console quickly sold out, and those who were unable to secure a unit were left disappointed on release day. Several months have passed since the PS5 came out, and more countries worldwide are still without consistent stocks of the console. Although it is worth noting that the PS5 is getting replenished quicker than when it was first released, some are still unable to get one.
Sony did admit that it cannot keep up with the high demand for the PS5 due to the shortage of certain components that make up the console. However, a major contributor to the PS5 shortage is the presence of scalpers who can purchase stocks of the console in bulk, selling them at higher prices. Browsing through sites like eBay, one could easily find a PS5 console for sale, but average prices range from $1000-$1500, which is definitely higher than the SRP of $499 for the digital-only version and $599 for the regular model.
At the moment, Sony hasn't addressed the scalping problem directly. However, it continues to promise that stocks of the PS5 will normalize soon. Many predict that the ongoing shortage of the console could last until the first half of 2021, which is when analysts predict Sony would be able to keep up with demand. Of course, there should be preventive measures to ensure that PS5 units are reaching consumers instead of scalpers, but that is easier said than done. Given the continuous onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, most retailers only sell PS5 consoles online, allowing scalpers to get hold of stocks before consumers.
Scalpers Are Ruining McDonald's Pokemon Cards
Unfortunately, it appears that the special Pokemon cards that McDonald's is currently offering in celebration of Pokemon's 25th anniversary are suffering from the same fate. Shortly after McDonald's special promotion began, fans who could not get the Pokemon cards due to shortages aired their grievances online. Some people reported witnessing others buying Happy Meals in bulk, while others went to their local McDonald's to buy a single meal, only to find out that someone else has bought the store's entire stock.
Of course, while some of those who buy Happy Meals in bulk could be avid Pokemon collectors, eBay is already filled with third-party resellers. Browsing through the site, one could find a listing offering 150 packs of the highly-coveted Pokemon cards for $810. It is worth noting that a single Happy Meal only costs $1.99, which will get players a single pack. This means that the specific listing costing $810 is basically selling $5 per pack of Pokemon cards.
Due to the growing problem, McDonald's has since issued a statement saying that it is working to address shortages by encouraging restaurants "to set a limit on Happy Means sold per customer" Additionally, the fast-food giant reiterated that as per company policy, consumers are prohibited from buying full cases of Happy Meal toys, which is why it is confusing how those resellers from eBay acquired their stock. Luckily for those still looking for Pokemon cards to add to their collection, McDonald's promotion will run through March 8, so there should be at least a few restocks left before it goes away permanently.