Not every interested gamer still has a PlayStation 5 at home. The demand is far higher than the supply. However, due to a crisis in the supply of components, the situation for the PS5 remains tense according to experts.
Why is the PS5 still scarce? From the launch of the PS5 in November 2020, there was a lot of frustration among fans, as the demand for the console was far greater than the supply that Sony could produce. The result was absurd prices on eBay and such, which unfortunately have not improved.
However, those who hoped for improvement may be disappointed. In a confidential yet leaked conversation, Sony’s CFO Hiroki Totoki stated to analysts that the situation still looks bleak. The reason is likely the urgently needed semiconductors, which are currently scarce worldwide and thus slow down production:
I don’t believe that the demand will calm down this year, and even if we secure much more [semiconductors] and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply will not catch up with the demand.
Hiroki Totoki, CFO of Sony
PS5 production continues to stall, but Sony is doing its best
Is there no hope at all? At least in an interview with the Japanese magazine Nikkei, Sony head Jim Ryan explained back in April that they are at least trying to secure additional semiconductors from suppliers, so that production can be increased a little bit.
However, Sony still expects high demand: Totoki explained to analysts that they still believe in a sustained high demand for the PS5:
We have sold over 100 million units of the PlayStation 4, and considering our market share and our good reputation, I can’t imagine that the demand will simply decrease.
The extreme demand for the PlayStation 5 is illustrated by absurd scenes from 2020, when desperate customers used all means to get a console: Despite chaotic conditions during pre-orders. A particularly absurd example of persistence was a father who stoically hit F5 for 13 hours to finally secure a console for his son.
