Scarcity doesn't end: PS5 now sells slower than PS4

The PS5 has been one of the most in-demand consoles since its November 2020 launch, so much so that Sony has struggled to keep up with that high demand. However, the latest figures show that as of December 31, 2021, PS5 sales have reached a total of 17.3 million units.

In the important third quarter of fiscal 2021, which falls during the holiday period, Sony sold 3.9 million PS5 consoles, up slightly from the previous quarter's figure of 3.3 million. However, this is less than the 4.5 million PS5 sold by Sony during the same period in the third quarter of the previous fiscal year.

The PS5 was the best-selling PlayStation of all time, hitting 10 million units faster than any previous Sony console, showing the importance of demand, but that pace is now slowing down. The latest figures show that the PS5 is now lagging behind its predecessor, with 20.2 million PS4 units sold in the same period.

Sony struggled to keep up with consumer demand, with many PlayStation fans joking about the elusive or "mythical" PS5, with available stock often running out quickly. Like Nintendo and Microsoft, Sony faced component shortages and supplies were limited, largely due to the ongoing shortage of computer chips.

These issues are likely to continue, and Sony has acknowledged this by revising its overall outlook. The company has reduced shipments of the PS5 to 11.5 million units for the fiscal year, down from a previous forecast of 14.8 million.

Meanwhile, Sony managed to sell 200,000 PS4 units in the third quarter of 2021, which means its all-time sales reached 116.8 million, while digital sales of PS4 and PS5 games rose and the PS Store announced its second-highest quarterly earnings ever.

A source: Sony