Sony manages to sell over 10 million PS5 units despite global semiconductor shortage
Sony seems to be quite confident about the number of PS5 units it can sell within a year of its launch. An earlier estimate prophesized that it would sell over 22.6 million units before November 10, 2021, despite the difficulties associated with manufacturing the console. As of July 18 2021, over 10 million PS5 units have been sold worldwide, inching Sony closer to its somewhat lofty goal.
To put things in perspective, the PS4 managed to sell a mere 7.8 million units in its first year, that too without the aforementioned component shortages. The PS5, on the other hand, hit that figure in April 2021, a mere five months after it was launched.
Sony still has about four months to sell as many consoles as possible, and the prospect of 20 million PS5 sales within its first year is well within the realm of possibilities. Under ideal circumstances, i.e. no semiconductor shortage, we probably would have been at 20 million already, given the sky-high demand for the PS5.
Interestingly enough, the PS5 doesn't have even that many exclusives outside of Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart, Returnal and Demon Souls. Bigwigs such as Horizon Forbidden West and God of War aren't due until next year. It seems that the hype Sony generated around the PS5 was enough to move a truckload of consoles.
Having sold 10 million consoles, Sony is undoubtedly happy with the current state of affairs. The same can't be said for end users, though. Many gamers have been unable to snag a PS5 despite frequent restocks. Scalper and bots continue to plague the market, and Sony and other retailers aren't doing nearly enough to stop them.
Source(s)
