Six months after its release, the PlayStation 5 remains incredibly difficult to come by worldwide, thanks to the global chip shortage. The situation is so bad, the next-gen console was outsold in the UK last month by its predecessor, the PlayStation 4. That information comes from GamesIndustry.biz’s Christopher Dring. Of course, that’s only part of the picture. PS5 wasn’t just outsold by PS4, it was also outsold by pretty much every other gaming console. Nintendo Switch took home the top spot, while combined sales of Xbox Series X|S took second place. The figures show just how much Sony is currently struggling to meet demand.
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The original Tweet from Dring can be found embedded below.
So PS5 stock has slowed quite a bit in the UK. In April, PS4 sold more than PS5. Nintendo Switch was the No.1 console overall, followed by the Xbox Series platforms
— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) May 13, 2021
It will be interesting to see what impact these shortages have on PS5’s future success. While demand for the console remains incredibly high, it’s possible that these shortages could result in gamers checking out other consoles, instead. The Nintendo Switch has been an incredible success over the last four years, and it seems unlikely that the lack of PS5 consoles has had an impact on sales. However, Dring reports that Xbox Series X|S has been easier to come by in the UK. It’s possible the PS5 shortages are pushing more gamers to try an Xbox instead, in order to experience multi-platform next-gen titles like Resident Evil Village.
PlayStation 5 is starting to get some exciting exclusives. Last month saw the release of Returnal, while Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is set to arrive in June. PlayStation has also confirmed that Horizon Forbidden West will release this year. These exclusives should continue to drive interest in the system, but it does make it all the more disheartening that the PS5 is still so difficult to obtain. It remains to be seen when the situation will get better, but hopefully it will happen sooner, rather than later.
Are you surprised by PS4 outselling PS5 in the UK? Will system shortages lead to you buying a different console? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!
