PS5 supply issues are ‘resolved’ in Asia, but what about the US and the UK?
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The PS5 shortage has been “solved” in Japan and Asia, said Jim Ryan, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Here’s what that could mean for the rest of the world looking ahead to next year.
At the recent annual PlayStation Partner Awards, Ryan spoke about the region’s PS5 availability issues and explained how the company “will be able to deliver” in 2023, according to the official Japanese PlayStation blog (opens in new tab).
We’ve covered PS5 scarcity extensively over the past two years since the system launched in November 2020. are still struggling to get their hands on the console.
Despite the supply issues the PS5 has faced since release, that hasn’t stopped Sony from selling more than 20 million units earlier this year, said SIE Head of Global Sales Veronica Rogers in an interview with Gamesindustry.biz. Rogers claimed it is “planning a significant increase in PS5 production this year”. Now, at the end of 2022, things look more optimistic for console stock than at any time since launch.
With Ryan promising that the shortage in his home country is effectively over, time will tell if it will be easier for those who need to experience some of the best PS5 games. If you can get your hands on the PS5, these are the first three games you need to play.
Will the PS5 become more available in 2023?
Judging by the fact that we’ve seen PS5 availability increase in the US and UK over the year, it seems likely that more people will be able to get their hands on the console. Those in the UK have had the option of bundles from major retailers throughout the second half of this year. In America, retailers such as Best Buy (opens in new tab) and Amazon (opens in new tab) have offered the console on a click-and-collect basis or by invitation, respectively. We hope that next year the shortage will be completely over.
Why is the PS5 still hard to find in stores?
The simple answer is that the semiconductor shortage caused by the global pandemic is still having far-reaching consequences nearly three years later. The hardware manufacturer has made an effort to adapt to these unforeseen circumstances as the internal motherboards have changed several times over the years. A PS5 price hike was also introduced to try and get more consoles made and out the door in the summer as well. Next year will show whether these controversial decisions were worth it.