At Sony’s CES 2023 press conference Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan announced that the company passed a new PS5 sales figure milestone. In an address to promote the brand’s achievements and upcoming releases, Ryan said that Sony had sold over 30 million units to date. He also said that December 2022 was Sony’s best-ever month for PS5 sales.
Additionally, Ryan implied that Sony would have enough PS5 consoles on hand to satisfy customer demands. “Starting from this point forward,” he said, “everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally.” Since its launch in 2020, the PlayStation 5 has been dogged by persistent issues in its supply chain. The causes range from restrictions related to stemming the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to parts shortages that slowed the pace of manufacturing. The effect was felt by consumers, who were often unable to buy PS5s when they wanted to. Some retailers used lotteries to award systems to prospective buyers, while other fans turned to scalpers selling consoles at inflated prices.
It appears that Sony feels confident that it has moved beyond those supply issues and is capable of meeting demand. That demand remains high, as even two years after launch and a overall price increase in some countries, the machine is still considered difficult to acquire in some places. Ryan also expects the impending launch of the PSVR 2 hardware to boost PS5 sales numbers somewhat as well. The virtual reality suite incorporates new technology to make it competitive with current top-line VR setups, though it isn’t compatible with original PSVR software.
