PS5 Restock Issues Ending Soon, So Says Sony

The PlayStation 5 has been a tough commodity to get a hold of, following its initial launch in November 2020. It seems like just as soon as any restock takes place, all available units are gone within seconds. This is partially due to the ongoing electronics chip shortage, but the issue also seems to be driven by scalpers and bots, who purchase as many of the new consoles at MSRP value as they can fit into one shopping cart, just to turn them around on websites like eBay, where you can still find PS5s sold at steep premiums — climbing up into the $1000 range or higher. The demand for high-priced PS5s on peripheral marketplaces is also driven by the desperate lack of supply that's created in part by those same scalpers, which makes it seem compulsory to just give in and buy one of those.

But if you've yet to snag a PS5 at its legitimate original recommended retail price (at approximately $500), and if you still want one, you might want to hold off on buying one from the secondary market. In a recent investor briefing, Sony has made it clear that it intends to ramp up production on PS5s in order to combat the lack of console sales that the company has been experiencing.

Noted in the previously mentioned investor briefing, the PlayStation 5 only outsold the PlayStation 4 during its initial launch window. The PS4 evidently overtook the PS5 again in 2021 due to supply shortages, and now it sounds like Sony is projecting a comeback for the PS5's sales in 2023-2024, after a reasonable gap period over the next year. 

One potential risk for PS5 supply shortages going into the future is what Sony described as logistics issues with Russia. Sony is also trying to maneuver around the logistics of COVID-19. Sony claims to be working deals out with multiple suppliers that can provide PS5 parts, and this is in addition to "ongoing logistical negotiations to maintain optimal PS5 delivery routes," which does sound more like Apple's dilemma. It would seem that the company is having less of an issue accessing raw materials, and a big set of issues in setting up safe delivery routes between manufacturers, warehouses, and retailers.

Aside from the tentative good news for those still waiting to nab their PS5s at a reasonable price, there are a handful of other major developments teased in the aforementioned investor briefing.