Sony confirms PS5 restock nightmare will continue into next year

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By Rory Mellon
published

PS5 restocks likely won’t improve this year

PS5
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

If you were hoping that PS5 restocks might improve before the year is out, then Sony has some bad news for you. The massively in-demand gaming machine is currently sold out just about everywhere, and that lack of supply is expected to persist into 2022. 

A recent Bloomberg report cites several anonymous industry analysts who have received confirmation from Sony itself that the technology giant is seriously struggling to keep up with the overwhelming demand for the PS5. 

Hiroki Totoki, CFO of the Sony Group, is reported to have said in a private briefing: “I don’t think demand is calming down this year and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldn’t be able to catch up with demand.” 

The primary reason for this scarcity of stock is the usual culprit: the ongoing global chip shortage. This lack of core components is affecting everything from gaming consoles to medical equipment and is predicted to continue well beyond 2021. It’s such a problem that Sony has even made some noise about redesigning the PS5 to circumvent the issue. 

As it stands, Sony is banking on the demand for the PS5 not being negatively impacted by the current stock shortages with Totoki claiming that the “market share and reputation” of PlayStation will keep interest at a high level. This certainly seems to be the case for now as even six months after launch the PS5 remains seriously in demand, and any restocks tend to sell out in mere minutes. 

In a perverse way, PS5 stock being in such short supply might actually be helping the console’s reputation. Any product that cannot be easily purchased due to limited availability naturally attracts more interest, as people enquire if it’s really worth all the fuss. The same is true of the PS5, consumers who may have waited till a couple of years after launch to pick up a console may now want one much sooner, as the lack of availability actually makes it a more attractive purchase. 

The PS5 currently stands at around 8 million units sold since launch in November 2020, with Sony’s goal to sell 15 million by April 2022 seeming very achievable even with the current stock issues. There’s a long way to go before catching up with the PS4 though, which is at around 116 million consoles sold since its 2013 launch. Sony believes the PS5 will surpass that figure by 2028. 

Of course, in order to sell PS5s customers need to actually be able to buy one, and currently, that’s proving frustratingly difficult for thousands of gamers. That’s where our where to buy a PS5 hub comes in. Make sure to bookmark this handy guide as we regularly update it with the latest stock information and helpful buying tips for each retailer.  

Rory Mellon
Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.