The PlayStation 5 console has become notoriously difficult to get a hold of. Stores that carry the console receive irregular restocks and sell out as quickly. This is a problem that has plagued both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X thanks to an ongoing chip shortage that is causing delays in manufacturing.This supply problem is accentuated by scalpers who buy up restocked PlayStation 5 consoles and then resell them online for an exorbitant price. Legitimate buyers that want a PS5 console at a fair price are left watching PS5 restock alerts and Twitter accounts hoping to be quick enough when one becomes available.In a financial report released by Sony, the company revealed that there have been 19.3 million PlayStation 5 consoles shipped as of March 31, 2022. Of this number, 2 million consoles were shipped in the first three months of 2022, which is down by 1.3 million from the same fiscal quarter in 2021. Sony had planned to get the PS5 console shortage under control by the middle of 2022, and perhaps it still might, but Sony's current production is still well below the public demand for the console.
The Sony report also reveals figures on game sales across PS5 and PS4 systems. Game sales have increased to 70.5 million, which is expected as more players finally get their hands on a PS5, though these sales would still be limited by Sony's hardware supply not meeting its demand. Xbox has a policy of not releasing the exact shipment and sales figures for its consoles, but it is reported that the month of March was one of the best ever for Xbox hardware sales.
Sony reportedly had plans to redesign the PS5 hardware in order to counteract the computer chip shortage that is blocking hardware production, but that rumor has yet to materialize into reality. Both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X console availability has been hindered by the same computer chip shortage. This means that whichever company can solve the issue first and increase its console supply will likely gain a leg up on its competitor for the rest of the console generation.
19.3 million consoles is no small number, though it is still a long way from the current PS4 sales figures of 116.9 million. If Sony can get its hardware shortage under control, there is certainly still a lot of demand from players wishing to buy the elusive console. But until then, there are a few strategies for buying a PlayStation 5 that may help those still trying to get their hands on one.