Sony has confirmed that it didn’t sell as many PS5 consoles over the past 12 months as it originally forecast.
This week Sony published its complete financial earnings for the 2021 fiscal year, and while there were plenty of positives, one disappointing development was the confirmation that the PS5 missed its second-year sales targets. To date, Sony has sold 19.3 million PS5 consoles worldwide, and while that number initially seems impressive, it’s 3.3 million units fewer than Sony was targeting.
The PS5 failing to meet its sale targets is not an indication that the console is struggling or an indication that consumers aren’t interested in buying a next-gen gaming machine. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The PS5 has missed its sale targets because Sony is unable to manufacture enough consoles to meet the overwhelming demand.
PS5 restock has been in short supply since the console launched in November 2022, and these numbers tell that story. This isn’t just a Sony problem either. The ongoing global chip shortage has meant that Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have all reported softer hardware sales than first projected.
The shortage of chips is impacting industries beyond gaming as well, with the production of everything from electric cars to medical equipment negatively affected.
PS5 restocks could be set to improve in the near future
In more positive news, this financial report actually makes for pleasant reading for anyone still on the hunt for a PS5 restock. Sony estimates it will ship 18 million PS5 consoles across its next fiscal year (ending March 2023). This essentially means over the next 12 months, Sony expects to double the number of consoles sold to consumers across the globe.
In even better news, Sony notes in the report that it feels “very comfortable” that it can achieve this sales target. However, there are still plenty of factors outside of Sony’s control that could affect the level of PS5 stock available over the next 12 months. Plus, Intel's CEO has recently warned that the global chip shortage is far from over, and is likely to continue into 2024.
For now at least, if you want to buy a next-gen gaming console you’re probably going to need to hunt restocks. The day when you can walk into a store and buy a PS5 off the shelf without hassle will come, but it’s almost certainly not going to be anytime soon. Even if stock levels are expected to improve, the demand still outstrips the limited supply.
If you’re hoping to buy a console in the near future, make sure to bookmark our PS5 restock hub. This comprehensive guide contains all the latest restock information and is updated daily. We can’t guarantee it’ll get you a console, but it’ll certainly make the task of tracking down a PS5 a whole lot easier.
