If you missed out on scooping up the PlayStation 5 for the holidays because they were sold out, you’ll have more luck in 2023, according to the company.
If you haven’t been able to get your hands on a PS5 at a reasonable price, the opportunity may arise, soon — according to the company. This comes as a relief, as street prices for the PS5 skyrocketed leading up to the holiday season in 2022. A supply shortage, mixed with high holiday demand, created what is known in the community as “console scalpers” who purchase the existing supply of PS5s to re-sell them at inflated prices.
According to a recent blog post by PlayStation,
“To all our fans: thank you for your patience as we navigated unprecedented demand for the PS5 console amid global challenges. If you’re looking to purchase a PS5 console, you should now have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally.”
Eager soon-to-be PS5 owners can also purchase the system online via the official PlayStation website.
The scalping of the system got so bad that according to the Verge, during the holiday season of 2020, the street price for a PlayStation 5 was over $1,000 — double the retail cost of the console. To some, this doesn’t seem like much, as selling out of their popular console is still good for the bottom line for Sony, regardless of who’s making the purchase.
However — it does mean there are legitimate gamers who want a PS5 but can’t afford the inflated street price, which undercuts game sales, which generates the bulk of profit for the company. So, in the long run, this is a problem.
This all being said, the move to produce more consoles should level out the street market or destroy it completely, especially if the console is easily purchasable at retail locations across the country.
We’ll be following this story in our News Section.
