The PlayStation boss Jim Ryan spoke in an interview with Axios about the PlayStation 5 and the ongoing issues with bots and resellers constantly buying up PS5s in bulk, making it difficult for honest fans to purchase one. He is also quite frustrated with the scalpers.
This is the current status of PS5 availability: The release was over half a year ago, yet the PlayStation 5 is still in extremely short supply as of June 2021. Not all interested buyers have managed to purchase Sony’s latest console, and Sony still cannot keep up with the demand. The numbers coming in are low, and new sales events usually sell out within minutes – even with online giant Amazon.
In short: the demand is still huge, and the supply feels like just a drop in the bucket.
An annoying problem with this: What makes it even harder for many honest buyers are the nasty resellers and bots. They systematically grab large quantities of new consoles as soon as they become available, using tricks to do so even before the actual sales events kick off. As a result, even fewer PS5s make it into the hands of honest customers.
The scalpers resell the consoles at much higher prices, platforms like eBay or eBay Classifieds are full of gouged prices beyond €700. And the business is booming. But what does Sony actually say?
Sony is working hard to ensure that the PS5 gets into the right hands
In a recent interview with Axios, PlayStation boss Jim Ryan addressed this very issue. He is also visibly frustrated.
This is what the PlayStation boss says about scalpers: Sony’s biggest problem with the PS5 doesn’t seem to be developing corresponding games, but rather getting the PlayStation 5 into the hands of customers.
According to Sony’s own statements, around 7.8 million PS5 consoles have been delivered by the end of March, but the demand is still huge, and production continues to suffer from chip shortages and it is still extremely difficult to obtain a PlayStation 5.
When asked about this, Ryan stated: “This frustrates and annoys me greatly. Especially that resellers and bots manage to get hold of the goods.” He emphasized that Sony is “working very hard with its partners to ensure that the PS5 gets into the right hands.”
What is Sony doing about it? He highlighted PlayStation Direct, which is meant to help combat this problem. This program is already active in the USA and is expected to come to Europe by the end of March 2022 – including Germany, the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
By the way, some retailers are also trying to block scalpers by introducing waiting lists, or attempting to prevent multiple purchases. However, aside from waiting lists, which unfortunately not every provider uses, previous measures have shown little visible success.
What is PlayStation Direct? It is a proprietary direct sales program for console hardware. According to Sony, the program is a complete success in the USA and will soon expand to Europe.
What are your experiences with purchasing a PS5? Have you managed to get a console and do not understand the fuss? Or are you interested in purchasing one but have not had any luck so far? Would you buy the PS5 from a reseller at a higher price, or is that an absolute no-go for you? Let us know in the comments what you think.
By the way, if you are still looking for a PS5 or an Xbox Series X, then visit our PS5 ticker: Buy PS5 in June 2021 – Start paying attention to these retailers from now on
