PS5 and Xbox Series X restock disaster blamed for lackluster launch

News
By
published

PS5 and Xbox Series X stock issues to blame for slower than expected sales

Where to buy PS5 and Xbox Series X
(Image credit: Shutterstock; Tom's Guide)

The release of the PS5 and Xbox Series X last November was met with great fanfare, but new data suggests that neither console has currently outperformed its last-gen predecessors. 

The data comes from a report by Ampere Analysis, which determines that the PS5 has currently sold 4.2 million units whereas the Xbox Series X (and Series S) have sold a combined 2.8 million units.

This would put the PS5 pretty much neck-and-neck with the PS4 in terms of sales up to this point, whereas the Xbox Series X and Series S are lagging slightly behind the Xbox One, which sold 2.9 million units in the same timeframe. 

It’s unwelcome news specifically for Sony as the PS5 launched globally this time around, whereas the PS4 didn’t launch in the company’s home country of Japan, a key market, until Q1 2014. So, we’d have expected the console to have outstripped the PS4 by now. 

While Microsoft previously claimed the launch of the Xbox Series X was the “biggest in Xbox history”, sales appeared to have tapered off a bit and are now inline with the much-maligned Xbox One. The Series X also launched in more markets than the Xbox One did in 2013, so Microsoft may have also expected stronger figures out of the gate. 

Both consoles have quite a long way to go before catching up with Nintendo. Ampere Analysis notes a staggering 26.3 million Nintendo Switches were sold in 2020 alone, and over 80 million units of the console have been shipped in its lifetime. 

PS5 and Xbox Series X restock woes continue

Of course, the elephant in the room is the significant stock issues that have plagued both consoles since launch. Even three months after release the supply of next-gen consoles is extremely limited due to a shortage of critical components.  

Ampere Analysis predicts that had it not been for these supply constraints Sony would have sold over 5 million units in the same timeframe, and regardless the tech giant is still on track to sell around 8 million PS5s by the end of March.  

With PS5 and Xbox Series X stock problems set to continue for a while, both Sony and Microsoft might have to wait a bit longer before these new machines begin to outpace their last-gen counterparts. 

If you’re still on the hunt for a next-gen console check out our guide on where to buy a PS5, and we also have a guide on where to buy the Xbox Series X.

Where to buy PS5: Check restock

Where to buy Xbox Series X: Check restock

See more Gaming News
Rory Mellon
Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.