The launch of the PS5 was one of the biggest events in the gaming world back in 2020, no doubt. This is because many gamers the world over had been waiting for Sony to launch its console, with Sony’s next-gen machine being definitely a hot item in demand when it debuted in November that year.
And it’s true its been pretty difficult to get hold of a PlayStation 5 ever since the machine hit shelves a couple of years ago, with people blaming the pandemic for the ongoing shortages due to the chaos it caused, disrupting supply lines and logistics…
The PS5’s stock shortages was something that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan referred to during the Consumer Electronics Show this year, also saying that it should be easier to get a PS5 console from now on.
“We truly appreciate the support and patience of the PlayStation community as we managed unprecedented demand amid global challenges over the past two years. Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward”, said Ryan at CES 2023 (via GameSpot).
Sony also revealed that it had sold 30 million PS5 consoles thus far, and also that December 2022 had been the best month so far in terms of sales for the console. It’ll take a while, though, for the PS5 to catch up to the PS4, with the latter having sold more than 117 million units to date and being second only to the world-conquering PS2.
Something that may give PS5 sales a boost is the possible release of a PS5 Slim model this year. This is something Sony did with the PS4 and earlier consoles, and a move which would make sense taking into account how bulky the standard PS5 model is (although some people like their electronics big for some reason truth be told…).
There’s also the possibility of a PS5 Pro console emerging this year, which could also make sense (a PS4 Pro model came out three years into the PS4’s life cycle), although maybe this is less likely taking into account how powerful the next-gen PS5 already is.
Sony, though, did not mention the PS5 Slim or Pro at CES 2023, but did reveal what it calls Project Leonardo, a customizable controller with a focus on accessibility. There’s also PSVR 2, the next-gen version of its virtual reality headset (exclusive for PS5), an top-notch exclusives like Spider-Man 2 and Final Fantasy XVI, the latter being one of the hottest upcoming games of 2023 no doubt.
PS5 console (Sony)