The PS5 launch was nothing if not tumultuous, as many fans are still struggling to get their hands one one. Because of this, it may feel as though there were only a handful of PS5s shipped out for sale during 2020, but in reality the console is selling incredibly well. Sony recently revealed that the PS5 console sold 4.5 million units in 2020 alone, but keep in mind that it only launched on November 12th. That means in just over a month and half the next generation machine was sent out to a ton of customers, and knowing that, the shortage of supply just goes to show how high the demand is this time around.

While these are great numbers for Sony, there are a few caveats that could explain why there are still so many players without PS5s, the biggest of which being scalpers. These are people that buy up PS5 stock and attempt to resell it at a higher price, making a ton of money and taking advantage of both Sony and players in the process.

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Of note, Sony states that it is still on track to meet its goal of selling 7.6 million PS5s by the end of March 2021, a claim that should uplift the spirits of players still searching for a PS5. Since the launch of the console, there have been sporadic PS5 restocks at various retailers, but never to the extent that the console was available at launch. If Sony does in fact manage to sell 7.6 million PS5s by the end of next month, that means there's still 3.1 million PS5s to be sold this year before March is over.

That number does include all PS5s that were already sold and shipped in January, but that likely doesn't account for all of them. With that in mind, players may want to keep a close watch on local retailers and online websites, as it's highly likely that stores will receive another wave of stock sometime during February or March. Assuming Sony and retailers can combat scalpers more efficiently than they could at launch, there's a good chance that more players will be able to experience the thrill of next generation gaming for themselves.

Despite this impressive number of sales, demand doesn't seem to be slowing down, so Sony is going to have to work hard to get even more consoles shipped out. At the moment the PS5 is performing similarly to the PS4, but fans are interested to see if it manages to surpass the highest selling home console ever, the PS2.

The PS5 is available now.

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Source: Sony Q3 FY 2020