Since its launch at the end of 2020, it’s always the same refrain. PlayStation 5s are only available in dribs and drabs, and it takes some perseverance to pick up a copy. That time is over, according to Jim Ryan, head of Sony’s gaming division, who spoke at CES in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
30 million PlayStation 5 sold
He thus promised that Anyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers around the world from now on. “. He specifies in passing that a total of 30 million consoles have passed for more than two years, which demonstrates the attraction of the public, beyond the difficulties of supply.
And Jim Ryan to thank the fans for their patience. He explains Sony’s difficulties, which had to “managing unprecedented demand amid global challenges over the past two years. » The challenges in question being the Covid-19 pandemic and the shortage of semiconductors that it has amplified globally.
This announcement sounds like a relief for all those who wanted to get a PlayStation 5. At present, it is very difficult to obtain a console at the normal price of 550 euros. They are indeed often resold at a higher price by individuals, who jump at the chance.
At the time of this writing, and after some research on Amazon, Fnac, and Micromania, and it was not possible to buy a PS5 directly at the price of 550 euros. We will have to monitor the situation over the next few days and weeks to see if the situation improves.
Game over for scalpers?
The shortage situation that we have been experiencing since the end of 2020 has given scalpers the opportunity to shine. If you’re not familiar with this word, it refers to people who often use bots to grab a good chunk of new console inventory very quickly. We then find these machines later for much higher prices. Faced with the lack, some players are however tempted, which only encourages practice.
The phenomenon has grown to such an extent that it has ended up alerting the public authorities. Anti-scalper laws have even been discussed in British and American parliaments. At the end of 2021, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer explained on this subject: “The average consumer is unable to compete with the speed of robots, which are all too common, and are then ransomed by resellers when they try to buy Christmas presents. »
