As PS5 buyers continue to wonder whether Sony has enough of the new consoles to go around, evidence is mounting that there may very well be a stock shortage. At least two retailers are warning customers they may not be able to fulfill the PS5 orders received just a day ago.
Amazon has emailed customers who seemingly locked in a PS5 preorder successfully to let them know that they "may not receive this item on the day it is released due to high demand." The message also said the retailer would make "every effort" to get PS5s to those who ordered them "as soon as possible once released."
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The email did not include any reasons for a possible delay. And that could be unnerving for customers who believed themselves lucky regardingfor getting in a preorder at Amazon. With PS5 ordering issues at some other retail sites, Amazon seemed the simplest to reserve a new gaming console.
The PS5 is supposed to ship on November 12. Amazon’s email didn’t offer an alternative delivery date for delayed orders.
Amazon has sent an email saying PS5 orders may not arrive on launch date due to high demand pic.twitter.com/xip55XEwYDSeptember 18, 2020
Amazon isn't the only retailer sending out similar warnings. Earlier this summer, Play-Asia.com began soliciting preorders for a variety of PlayStation 5 systems from different regions at a $200 markup. Following a brief period of time with the listings on the website, the products were summarily removed.
On Friday (Sept. 18), those who managed to preorder one of the systems through Play-Asia.com received an email advising that buyers were welcome to cancel due to "production and allocation limitations from distribution networks for the console." The email also described PS5 stock as "incredibly scarce in all regions" and offered instructions on how to cancel prior orders should buyers choose to do so.
Sony has denied previous rumors that there might be a stock shortage. In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and President Jim Ryan acknowledged there were distribution issues when the pandemic first hit. However, Ryan also added that Sony would have "more PlayStation 5 units ready for sale than they had PlayStation 4 units in 2013."
\While that may be, Sony sold around 2.1 million PlayStation 4 units just after the PS4's launch around the world. It's unclear what kind of stock we'll be seeing from the manufacturer this time around.
