Sony says PS5 supply chain issues have ended after three years, expects record holiday season sales

In brief: It's been three years since the PlayStation 5 launched, but only now has Sony declared with confidence that the supply chain issues that plagued the console are finally over. As such, the company expects one of the strongest-ever seasons for PS5 sales this holiday.

The pandemic and ensuing global chip shortage meant buying a newly launched PS5 in late 2020 involved a lot of luck, money, or usually both, especially as scalpers were buying the console in their thousands and selling them at obscenely marked-up prices.

The problem persisted for a while, though it started improving slightly by the end of 2021. At the start of 2023, Sony announced that buying a PS5 should be a lot easier. There was no better illustration of this than in April when it was reported that scalpers were struggling to sell the consoles, with some listings under MSRP.

In an interview with Barron's (via Resetera), SIE senior vice president and head of global marketing Eric Lempel said this will be the first holiday season where PS5 consoles will be in full supply, and that anyone who wants a PlayStation 5 will be able to get one.

Lempel added that Sony is expecting one of its strongest seasons in the company's history in terms of console sales, aided by the launch of new titles such as the PS5-exclusive Marvel's Spider-Man 2. The superhero's latest game sold 2.5 million copies within the first 24 hours of launch, making it the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios title ever.

In a separate interview with CNBC, Lempel said that Sony was on track to reach its self-imposed target of 25 million PS5 units shipped throughout 2023. That would make it the best year for any PlayStation console in history, beating the 25-year-old record held by the original PlayStation, which shipped 22.6 million units across 12 months.

Another factor giving Sony's PlayStation sales a bump over the holidays is the PS5 Slim. It launches in November, offering a 30% reduction in volume compared to the original, but the power and price remain the same. It was also revealed this week that installing the PS5 Slim's disc drive will require an internet connection. Nevertheless, expect it to be a big seller.