Thinking of toughing the lineups to pick up your new PlayStation 5 in-store on launch day? Think again! Jim Ryan, President & CEO of PlayStation sheds light on some unfortunate news.
From endless Tik Tok’s to a whole treasure trove of memes and social media posts – it’s no secret that the gaming community has been abuzz with the PlayStation 5 supposedly hitting the stores in the near future.
And with pre-orders being the new way to secure your gaming tech as soon as it drops, there’s little to be surprised about the fact that there are over 1 million PS5 preorders out and about as of today.
However, despite the digital age rapidly taking over our day to day lives, there’s still that one peculiar group of people that’s willing to wait in day-long ques just to raid the limited stock that would possibly hit the shelves of their neighborhood GameStop, EB Games, or another gaming outlet.
Unfortunately, according to a statement released earlier today by the President and CEO of PlayStation, Jim Ryan – these folks might just be out of luck.
What’s The Word On Pre-Orders?
When the PS5 pre-orders were opened, it was almost like opening the floodgates to Hoover Dam. Just mere hours after the program went public, major retailers reported their pre-order stock being completely sold out, leaving hopeful would-be owners hanging dry.
What’s more – ever since the initial wave, there hasn’t been any sort of news on whether or not more units would land for pre-order, not to mention any numbers that would hit the shelves at retail locations.
But here’s the thing – it’s not as simple as just a total bust on matching demand!
As it turns out, Sony had a “major whoopsie” with their delay in announcing the fact that PlayStation 5 pre-orders have already landed, and have been around for over a month.
This led to a situation where quite a few gamers already had their pre-orders locked in and secured – all while the rest of the gaming world that patiently waited for Sony’s announcement was left unamused, to say the least.
In turn, with pre-orders being completely locked down across major retailers like BestBuy, Target, GameStop, among others, many gamers that missed the initial wave of pre-orders are now opting to go battle it out in ques at stores in hope of securing a unit from the shelves.
And just where you thought there might be a happy ending to this story after all – Sony decided to drop another bomb.
Sony Says “Supply != Demand”
According to an interview with Reuters, PlayStation’s Jim Ryan addressed the spectacle unfolding around PS5 pre-orders and mentioned that: “It may well be that not everybody who wants to buy a PS5 on launch day will be able to find one.“
He went on to state that Sony is actively looking for new ways to make sure the supply of consoles they’re putting out will match the growing demand and popularity ahead of the launch date.
However, with little else being shared in the form of concrete details or plans – it’s safe to say that Sony and PlayStation have severely underestimated the market this time.
So, What’s The Plan?
If you’ve missed out on the pre-order, whether due to Sony’s delayed announcements or due to the madness surrounding digital pre-orders with the release of the new console – as of the time of writing, you’re basically out of luck.
Still, there’s some hope in this situation being somewhat hyperbolic in nature – meaning that by some miracle the demand curve will eventually even out with the supply plans prior to the launch date.
As it stands, most gamers will have to wait several months after the initial wave of pre-orders hits home to secure their new console, and they’ll lose valuable time. And while overall it’s to be expected with the release of any new gaming console – this turn of events has been especially damaging to digital creators that find it vital to stay up to date with trends in order to keep the lifeblood of their livelihood engaged.
