Sony Says That Supply Issues Will Affect PS5 Restock Times Into 2022
As the holiday season approaches, Sony is warning customers that PS5 delays regarding restocks will continue throughout the 2022 fiscal year.
This week, a number of retailers such as Walmart, Target and Amazon watched as customers lined up in-person or waited in virtual lines to temporarily purchase a PS5 console that debuted in November 2020.
On Thursday, both Amazon and Best Buy's websites said that the console was out of stock, and there wasn't any confirmation that customers were able to successfully purchase a PS5.
There hasn't been any new information regarding the next big restock, but the Japanese entertainment company has warned retailers and customers that supply issues will be a problem through 2022, according to Bloomberg.
In May 2021, Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki spoke at a private briefing regarding the status of the PS5 game console.
"I don't think demand is calming down this year and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldn't be able to catch up with demand," said Totoki, as reported by Bloomberg.
Typically when new gaming consoles debut, stock issues occur for a number of months. But the COVID-19 pandemic along with a major computer chip shortage have cause further stock issues for nearly a year.
Arthur Gies, Wirecutter's editor of computing and network coverage, wrote a guide in July 2021 on how to choose the right PS5. On Thursday, he gave advice on what customers can do to score their next PS5.
"I've bought six PS5s and eight Xbox Series X consoles for friends and family, and what I've found that works is to sign up for accounts at all the major retailers and make sure your billing and shipping is current," said Gies.
He also stated that customers should avoid the PayPal option during the checkout process because "it adds 30 to 45 seconds to checkout time," which can be the determining factor on whether a customer gets a PS5 or not.
"You want the shortest distance between 'add to cart' and checkout," said Gies.
Gies also suggested that if a customer hasn't had any luck with purchasing a PS5, then they should sign up for alerts via Twitter.
Online bots will search a store's web code for a signal that indicates that a PS5 console is back in stock, according to New York Times tech writer Brian X. Chen.
