Both Microsoft and Sony have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to decreased production of ninth-generation consoles like the Xbox Series X and PS5. Scalping has also majorly affected the console market, with some scalpers acquiring 2,000 PS5 consoles at a time and reselling them at inflated prices. With all of this chaos, consumers are desperate to figure out when these next-gen consoles will be coming out in steady supply. Sony president Jim Ryan believes he has some answers, and gave his thoughts in a recent interview.
But Jim Ryan had more to discuss than just console sales. He also discussed Sony's plans to move forward in the VR market with a second version of the PlayStation VR in development. Ryan claims that the new VR device (unnamed at this point) will possibly have a single cord setup that plugs directly into the PS5. Development kits are already being prepared. With big plans for the VR device and more PS5 exclusives on the way, Ryan ensures the public that Sony is doing its best to get consoles moving.
Ryan outlined Sony's take on PS5 production in a recent interview with GQ. He said that the company was "very sorry" for "people who wanted a PS5 and couldn't find one," and stated "[w]e are doing our best." He also mentioned that Sony sold 4.5 million PS5 consoles by the end of 2020, which was more than PS4 numbers when they released in 2013. He went on to say that apparently one in four PS5 buyers did not own a PS4 and around half of PS5 buyers are new to the PlayStation network. Sony is "grateful that demand has been as strong as it is."
Ryan also claimed there was more than just COVID-19 holding back console production. He cited "difficulties in the semiconductor market," and pointed to similar production difficulties in the PC, mobile phone, and automobile markets. As for when hopeful PS5 owners can get their hands on one, Ryan said the PS5 supply "will increase as each month passes. And the situation will start to get better hopefully quite quickly." There is no clear date on when PS5 consoles will start to hit stores in larger numbers, but Ryan says Sony put "a considerable amount of product into the UK market last week" and believes that success will continue.
Although Ryan doesn't provide many specifics for hopeful PS5 owners to count on, he is more confident in Sony's output for promised PS5 titles. Sony is "feeling pretty good about" some much anticipated games in 2021, such as those with confirmed release dates like Returnal and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.
Whether PS5 consoles will actually become more available in the coming months is impossible to know, but there is good news for PlayStation fans already on board with PlayStation Plus. Sony is committing to more launch day PS5 games like Bugsnax for the PlayStation Plus service, so when PS5's do become more common, there will be top-notch games for new console owners.
Source: GQ