Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan has said that while the company has manufactured and shipped PlayStation consoles faster than ever before, the ongoing shortage of supply makes him “feel bad.”
Ryan spoke to Reuters after the company announced that it has sold 10 million PlayStation 5 consoles, making it the fast-selling console in Sony’s history. However, the unprecedented demand and continuous shortage of components has plagued the excitement for millions of fans who have yet to secure a console nearly nine months on. Ryan didn’t mention scalpers, who’ve only made the situation worse.
“We’ve built more PlayStations faster than we ever have before which makes me happy. But on the other hand, we’re some time from being able to meet all the demand that’s out there, which makes me feel bad,” he said. “Our partners are performing really well for us, but the chip shortage is definitely a challenge that we are all navigating.”
Despite fans’ frustration over the lack of PS5’s general availability, analysts think Sony has navigated the pandemic quite well. Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games research at Ampere Analysis, told Reuters that the company’s “deep expertise in supply chain management for consumer electronics has enabled it to weather the worst impacts of the pandemic even during the launch of a new product.”
Sony expects to sell approximately 15 million PS5s by next March – a target that it’s well-positioned to surpass especially if the shortage situation improves.
Are any of our readers still in the market for a PS5? Let us know what avenues you’ve already tried.
[Source: Reuters]
