This year it will again be difficult to slip the PlayStation5 (PS5) under the tree. And it’s not just about Christmas shopping. Since the product launch in November 2020, Sony has never been able to meet the demand for its latest generation game console.
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To purchase it, you can go through the brand’s website, but the message warns the person concerned that they will have to put themselves on a waiting list because ” [Sony va] get a limited number of PS5 consoles.” The only solution is to go through marketplaces like Fnac or Amazon, where rare copies are offered at prices well above Sony’s €550 selling price. Some ask more than 1000 euros…
Faced with such earning potential, smart little guys have created computer robots that outperform the average consumer as new arrivals come in. This army of “scalper bots” is picking up the last shipments to sell them for a higher price…
High end positioning
Launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, the console has suffered from semiconductor supply issues and waves of arrests at manufacturing sites in China, while during these crisis periods, interest in video games has revived – “house arrest”. Today, management wants to be more confident.
On December 7, Jim Ryan, head of Sony’s video game division, tweeted that the company had “resolved a long-term PS5 supply issue”, while specifying that the effort should continue into 2023. beyond forecasts. In less than three years, Sony should surpass 40 million sales of its PS5.
Read also: Sony raises PS5 prices due to inflation
Incidentally, the Japanese company is taking the opportunity to assert itself as high-end positioning against its opponents, starting with Microsoft with its Xbox: “Sony is starting to take a different position. It is betting on the top of the market, on the most regular players willing to spend money on more expensive consoles, accessories or games, while Microsoft aims to have the widest user base with a core strategy,” Charles-Louis Planade, director of international activities of the brokerage firm TP ICAP Midcap. Sony did not hesitate to raise the starting price of its console by 10%.