Despite the fact that you still can’t get one, Sony has sold 10 million PlayStation 5 units to date. Sony revealed this number in a press release today next to a fascinating fold: the PS5 apparently surpasses the PS4 sales in the same period. It’s another statistic that indicates that next-generation consoles are selling faster overall than last-generation consoles of their time.
There is also this: On a winning call earlier this weeksaid Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella that the Xbox Series X / S is Microsoft’s fastest-selling console line of all time. Nadella didn’t give a hard number on this week’s call for a win, as Microsoft stopped posting such numbers years ago during Xbox One’s lifetime. Kotaku nevertheless turned to Microsoft. We were alerted to the percentage increase in sales that was quoted by Microsoft CFO Amy Hood in this week’s conference call Twitter, Daniel Ahmad, senior analyst at Niko Partners, estimates that Microsoft sold 6.5 million Xbox Series X / S over the same period compared to 5.7 million Xbox One and 5 million Xbox 360.
Continue reading: So when are you going to get a PS5?
Earlier this yearAs PS5 sales neared 8 million units, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki said the company hopes the PS5 will continue to sell better than the PS4, which sold 14.8 million in its second year, and the next-generation console is already approaching. Kotaku Reached out to Sony for more accurate PS4 to PS5 comparisons but didn’t hear in time for the release.
You may be thinking what is there? These companies are selling more consoles than ever, and yet fewer people than ever seem to actually be holding one. Thanks to semiconductor shortages affecting industries around the world, next-generation consoles cannot ramp up production to meet demand. On Microsoft’s conference call, Hood went so far as to admit that such demand for next-generation Xboxes far exceeds supply.
And yes, right now, getting your hands on a next-generation console – be it an Xbox Series X, Series S, or PS5 – remains a tedious endeavor. If you are serious about buying one at a fair price, you need to buckle up and swallow a crazy cocktail from trawl forums, discord servers, and stock warning sites. (They also take a lot of time and patience.) Next-gen consoles sell out at major retailers like Walmart, GameStop, Target, and Best Buy. If you can find an offer online, it’s likely going to be sold through a third party and at an incredible markup.
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But it doesn’t have to hurt these companies. Typically, sales numbers like this refer to how much of a given product (in this case consoles) is sold by a manufacturer (in this case, console makers) either directly or to retailers. Perhaps many of these PS5s and Xboxes are going to resellers and scalpers who rely on bots to get the supply right away. Maybe they’re flying off the shelves because more people are playing games today than they were seven years ago (generally true). Anyway, Microsoft and Sony are still making millions without too much pressure to ramp up production.
The current lack of availability will eventually pass anyway; it’s a matter of if, Not if. Look at it through the lens of the story: In the halcyon BioShock– hard days of 2013 and 2014, how long did it take you to get an Xbox One or PS4? For this generation you can still play the next gloriole. You can continue to play the sequel Horizon Zero Dawn. We are still there an uncomfortable transition period between the generations-at least a little longer.
Continue reading: You still don’t need a PlayStation 5
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