Published , by Bill Lavoy
Published , by Bill Lavoy
It’s been nearly two years since the PlayStation 5 hit shelves and yet it can still be a struggle for potential buyers to find one. Sony (SONY) aims to alleviate some of that pressure, announcing through its Q1 2022 earnings report that it intends to bring more supply into the upcoming holiday season.
During the Game & Network Services Segment (G&NS Segment) of its Q1 2022 earnings report released July 29, 2022, Sony reiterated its 18-million-unit sales forecast for PS5 hardware in 2022 and noted that recovery from a lockdown in Shanghai should allow for increased PS5 production.
Getting your hands on a PS5 today can still be hit or miss. A quick check of a few popular online retailers in both the US and Canada found only Walmart had stock, and that was through third-party sellers, not Walmart directly. Of course, you could get lucky walking into a store and finding a PS5 on the shelf, but the fact you need luck to get your hands on a PS5 drives home the need for Sony to increase production.
What’s important to note is that Sony’s intention to produce more PS5s for store shelves won’t necessarily translate into the consoles being easier to buy. Demand for PS5s will increase with this supply as we near the holiday season, so it’s likely that potential buyers will find just as much frustration trying to snag a PS5 as they have the previous two years. If you think you’re going to want a PS5 for your household this holiday season, best to start looking right now.