Sony is anticipating great results from this upcoming holiday season. It’s said that the PlayStation 5 is now in “full supply,” making it the first time since its 2020 launch that players can readily purchase one off the shelves.
PlayStation executive Eric Lempel recently spoke to Barron’s (seen by ResetEra). During the conversation, Lempel explains that after nearly three years, PlayStation 5 has bounced back from its scarcity issues. “This is the first time we’re in full supply and we’re thrilled about that,” Lempel states.
PlayStation 5 sales have been quite strong throughout its lifecycle thus far. However, Sony has been met with challenges keeping up with demand. In part, Lempel says that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Sony faced supply chain issues, which hurt the company’s ability to maintain access to components. Additionally, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also created supply chain problems.
“Our outlook on PlayStation 5 is really strong,” Lempel told Barron’s. “We’re expecting one of the strongest seasons in our history in terms of console sales.” The PlayStation exec remains confident and cites that a combination of having a great product and compelling games will drive sales.
Of course, a big proponent of this is the recent launch of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. In only 24 hours after launching, Insomniac Games’ super-hero epic became the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game. Over 2.5 million players jumped into the game and began swinging through New York City.
Aside from PlayStation 5, Lempel also talked about PlayStation VR2. While still optimistic, Sony may not have as much confidence in its ability to move headset units this holiday. “The VR category is important to us. It’s a category that can help us with innovation. It’s never going to be the only way people play games, but I’m happy that we’re in it.” Lempel also described it as a “nascent business.”
