In a new report posted to Reuters, it was revealed that Sony is seeing “very considerable” demand for the PlayStation 5 based on console pre-orders. The news is great for Sony as it indicates the PS5 is experiencing, and will likely continue to experience, strong sales numbers.
Unfortunately, the news is less exciting for gamers who’ve been unable to secure a PS5 pre-order as Jim Ryan notes there may be difficulties in getting a PS5 on launch day as a result of the high pre-order demand.
Sony Reports ‘Very Considerable’ Demand for the PS5
Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, told Reuters the company has pre-sold as many PS5 consoles in the first 12 hours of pre-orders being live in the US as it did the PS4 during its first 12 weeks of pre-order availability.
Exact numbers weren’t provided so we can only guess as to how many PS5 consoles have been sold thus far.
The PS4 released on November 15, 2013 in the US and Canada. By February of 2014, outlets like The Verge reported that “over 5.3 million PS4 systems have been sold.”
With this information, one can assume that the PS5 is either on track to sell over 5 million units at a faster pace than the PS4, or it has already surpassed that number.
If the latter proves to be the case, it seems like the PS5 could very well go on to outsell the PS4 (of which over 100 million units have been sold).
That said, it’s still early and Sony is only talking about pre-order sales. We won’t know what the demand will be like in stores until the PS5’s November 12 launch day, and in the weeks that follow as we enter peak holiday shopping times.
For those waiting until or right after launch day to buy a PS5, Jim Ryan cautions that some people may be out of luck when it comes to getting one.
“It may well be that not everybody who wants to buy a PS5 on launch day will be able to find one,” Ryan told Reuters.
As concerning as this statement sounds, Sony is aware of the high demand for the PS5 and are working hard to “ensure supply for the year-end season” according to the Reuters article.
Some gamers have brought up that in the past, a report from Bloomberg claimed Sony had reduced its manufacturing plans for PS5.
However, Sony promptly responded to those concerns by saying:
“While we do not release details related to manufacturing, the information provided by Bloomberg is false. We have not changed the production number for PlayStation 5 since the start of mass production.”
Adding to this, other reports have suggested that Sony ramped up PS5 production to upwards of “10 million units by the end of the year” as a response to the increased demand for home entertainment due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
If there’s limited launch day availability for the PS5, it sounds like it’s a direct result of higher pre-order numbers than anticipated.
Launch day availability aside, we can’t help but wonder whether the impressive pre-order numbers will result in any availability issues for people who pre-ordered.
A number of people have already received notices saying their PS5 may be delayed but this seems to mostly be in relation to shipping rather than supply.
If issues with pre-order cancellations are reported, we’ll be sure to share them with you in order to give you a heads up. As of right now though, this doesn’t appear to be the case. Fingers crossed.
Other things brought up in the Reuters article that are worth noting include analyst speculation over long-term sales.
“Analysts question how far the expansion in gaming driven by stuck-at-home consumers will continue longer term, with Ryan saying it will be up to Sony to drive that engagement.”
We’ve heard some gamers say they’re ok with waiting until 2021 to buy a PS5 rather than rushing out to get one in November, so we imagine PS5 sales will continue to do well in 2021.
Furthermore, Sony has a number of highly anticipated exclusives releasing in 2021 including Horizon Forbidden West and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart that’ll serve as additional encouragement for gamers to purchase a PS5.
