Why is it so Hard to Find a PS5 for Sale?

PS5 was released last year on 12th November 2020. It is Sony's best PlayStation, and it is Sony's fastest-selling PlayStation yet, with more than 10 million consoles sold so far. PS5 came with many new features that supported gaming up to 8k and up to 120Hz; a digital edition and an enhanced PS5 controller were some of the few main highlights.

That's Amazing!

But, the PS5 is still not able to keep up with the supply. Today, I will be telling you exactly why PS5 is always lagging in stocks, and you'll know why whenever you go to Amazon to buy PS5, you get a "Currently unavailable" message. 

The recent restock was on 2nd November on Walmart, and it took a few hours for every PS5 to vanish. Here is a link to some trackers on the biggest online stores. You should bookmark them if you are still looking for one as they keep you updated with the news. 

5 Reasons Why PS5 is NOT Available 

Here are the five major reasons why you still might not be getting your console.

1. Launched During Covid

PS5 was launched in November 2020, and Covid was on the rise then, where businesses were closed and the whole world suffered. Production has to start before launch, and PlayStation 5 needed optimal conditions for the required stock. 

Unfortunately, enough PS5's couldn't be produced due to transportation issues, closed factories, and many more reasons. Such conditions made it hard for the PS5 manufacturers to meet the high demand, and although conditions have improved, still they are not optimal for the production to be in full swing.

2. The Pandemic Ushered in 'Work from Home'

This is the new normal of working, but manufacturing a physical thing is not that feasible.

We can see the shortage because of all the core teams sitting in front of webcams that also caused the Laptop demand surge and issues with their availability affecting PS5 production.

The new normal caused delayed assembly and played a role in causing chip shortages too.

3. Scammers and Resellers

This happens with almost any gadget, but people love to get an undue benefit when a console falls short in supply. 

This is what happened in the case of PS5, where scammers scammed people by showing PS5 stockpiles to convince the consumers, tricking them into paying via Apple Pay or the Cash App. All of them ended up getting scammed. Most of these scammers charged even more than the retail price. 

Note: You shouldn't use any other payment methods when buying an official console/gadget.

On the other hand, resellers have automated systems/teams that are ready to pull in the majority of the restock that means your chances of getting a PS5 get even lower. 

Although these PS5s get to the user and are not as damaging as the scammers, it still needs to be addressed by the online stores to avoid such activities. 

4. Cryptominers 

While you might be confused, how is crypto mining related to the PS5 shortage?

AMD GPUs are primarily used to mine bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies, and PS5, a graphics powerhouse, also needs GPUs. 

So, crypto miners add to the increasing demand for GPUs that lead to shortages. 

5. Chip Shortage

This is one of the primary reasons contributing to the shortage of PS5. Global chip shortage is to be blamed, which means it's out of Sony's hands to deal with the situation. Whether it be the drought in Taiwan or a sudden increase in demand from the auto industry, the crisis doesn't seem to be coming to an end anytime soon.

It is clear from this statement:

According to Bloomberg, at a private briefing, Hiroki Totoki, Chief Financial Officer at Sony, said, "I don't think demand is calming down this year and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldn't be able to catch up with demand".

So, we might need to think if we need the PS5 and if the wait is worth it? PS5 is undoubtedly an exceptional console, but it has some issues that can make all your investment go to waste. 

When it comes to issues with PS5, it is full of them, like randomly getting a black screen on PS5 or having slow wifi and the famous flickering issues. Additionally, game support is not available for 4K and 8K gaming. As there are not many console units, game publishers are also not interested in making new games that can take advantage of the PS5 hardware. 

Additionally, it's huge in size compared to the PS4 or Xbox, so you really need to decide if you want to get a new console, get an older gen model, or maybe a gaming PC/Laptop.