Sony has lifted the veil on the number of PS5s sold around the world. It begins to be left behind by the PS4.
Sony’s latest sales figures are out. Headlining the PS5, the company’s latest generation console subject to component shortages. And it seems that the consequences of this phenomenon are finally beginning to make themselves clearly felt. Indeed, it is largely exceeded by the sales figures of the PS4 over the same period after its release. We take stock.
The Effects of Component Shortage Are Materializing
So far, Sony had succeeded in overcoming the difficulties of the shortage of electronic components which affects all technological fields. Last October, the firm announced that it had sold more than 13.4 million PS5s. A staggering figure which was still far from reflecting the reality of demand, since we know that it greatly exceeds the current supply. However, it seems that for the end of the year, many households have turned to other Christmas gifts, with Sony registering a marked slowdown.
Today, the number of copies sold of the PS5 amounts to 17.3 million, which is almost 3 million less than the PS4 during the same period. Indeed, the old-gen console recorded a record figure of 20.2 million copies sold as much time after its release as the PS5. The firm is also seeing an overall decline of around 8% in the gaming division year over year. This decrease concerns all areas: the sale of peripherals, consoles, but also first and third party games.
A more mixed year 2021
Obviously, you have to take into account the entire calendar to understand these figures. A year ago, Sony had built up a small starting inventory for the release of PS5, which helped sales at the end of the year, and slowed them at the start of 2021. time, many games were released almost at the same time to accompany this historic launch. Note, for example, the output of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Cyberpunk 2077.
In 2021, releases, exclusive or not, have been more scattered throughout the year and consoles have not become more abundant. These end-of-year figures therefore reflect the large shortfall at the end of the year, which could have boosted PS5 sales if they had been more accessible. For many experts, this is a situation that should continue in 2022, and this until at least 2023.
