The demand for the new PlayStation 5 is reportedly enormous, according to Sony. In an interview, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan explained, among other things, the availability for the PS5 launch.
Where does the information come from? Jim Ryan, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, spoke in an interview with the news agency Reuters. There he commented on the pre-sales of the PS5 and briefly discussed its availability at launch.
This is how the PlayStation 5 has sold so far: According to Ryan, Sony’s new next-gen console is in high demand. “The demand, which is reflected in the number of pre-orders, is very, very considerable,” said the PlayStation CEO.
According to Ryan, Sony sold more PS5 units in the first 12 hours of pre-sales in the USA than it did for the PS4 in the first 12 weeks.
“Not everyone may be able to get a PS5 on launch day”
This is what Ryan says about the availability of the PS5: The PS5 launch comes amid the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the gaming industry has experienced a surge. However, due to the global impact of the virus, trade networks, supply chains, and game development have also been affected. Currently, the PS5 is sold out.
Ryan commented on the availability of the PlayStation: “It may well be that not everyone who wants to buy a PS5 on launch day will actually be able to find one.”
This aligns with statements from several retailers (like MediaMarkt or Saturn) who reported that there will be no new pre-orders in the foreseeable future. So, the outlook for a third wave of pre-orders is rather bleak.
However, he added that Sony is working as hard as it can to ensure supply for the shopping period at the end of the year. So, it might be tight at launch, but perhaps there will be a restock by the end of the year.
Sony had already announced this in a tweet prior to the second wave. It was stated back then that there will be more PS5 units at the end of the year.
What does retail availability for the PS5 look like? To date, there has been no clear statement on whether PlayStation 5 consoles will be available at retail at launch (or in the foreseeable future after that).
According to some retailers, it hasn’t looked very promising so far and that seems to be further confirmed now — although not by Jim Ryan.
There is now a leaked internal memo from the major retail chain Best Buy in Canada. The memo from October 26 states that they will not be sending units to stores for the launch and afterwards. Should there be any, customers are expected to order online.
As reported by the Norwegian site Gamer.no, there will be no retail sales in Norway due to the COVID-19 pandemic — only online sales. Several sources there claim to have learned this directly from Sony.
And since COVID-19 rates are rising in many countries, including here in Germany, it is quite possible that we might face the same fate.
It will be interesting to see how the pre-orders are allocated. After all, some gamers in Germany ordered their PS5 in such a way that they must pick it up in-store.
By the way, the first videos of the PS5 unboxing are out and the internet is going crazy
