Sony has announced that the PlayStation 5 shortage is essentially over.
The company’s games boss, Jim Ryan, said on Wednesday that Sony has now sold 30 million PS5s worldwide. He noted that December 2022 was the “biggest month on record” for console sales.
The console was released in November 2020 but has been very hard to come by for most of its lifespan. A semiconductor chip shortage has limited Sony’s production of new PS5 consoles. Other supply chain issues caused by the global coronavirus pandemic have not helped.
get lucky or be willing to pay more
Above all, to get a PS5 you had to be very lucky if a new offer was released on the spot, or be willing to pay a lot more than the console’s suggested retail price.
It wasn’t until August 2022 that it was considered “almost easy to buy.”
At Sony’s press conference, Ryan said the offering is steadily improving towards the end of 2022. Sony said it surpassed 25 million units sold in November 2022 and likely sold around five million additional consoles in December 2022 alone.
“We greatly appreciate the support and patience of the PlayStation community as we’ve managed unprecedented demand amid global challenges over the past two years,” said Ryan.
However, as of Thursday noon, PlayStation 5 consoles are still out of stock at BestBuy and most GameStop stores.
Amazon lists the console as “available by invitation” and includes a disclaimer that the item is in high demand and quantities are limited. The last wave of invitations was sent out on December 30, 2022.