Sony expects boost in PS5 sales now supply chain issues have finally been resolved
Global marketing boss Eric Lempel predicts Christmas 2023 will be "one of the strongest seasons in our history"
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Sony is confident it's heading into one of its best holiday periods to date as it declares that the supply chain issues that have been hindering PlayStation 5 sales have been fully resolved.
The platform holder confirmed plentiful supply of its current console to both the BBC and Barron's, the latter spotted by VGC, meaning the PS5 will be widely available in the run up to Christmas.
The PS5 has been struggling to meet demand since in launched in 2020, due primarily to the pandemic-induced global chip shortage that has affected all tech and manufacturing industries.
Sony has still managed to sell 40 million units of the console as of July 2023, although the PlayStation 4 – which did not suffer the same issues – reached this milestone two months sooner during its own lifecycle.
Speaking to Barron's, Sony Interactive Entertainment's SVP and head of global marketing Eric Lempel said the company's outlook for PS5 is "really strong" when it comes to the upcoming holiday shopping period.
"We're expecting one of the strongest seasons in our history in terms of console sales," he said.
Lempel highlighted the recent release of Spider-Man 2 as an example of the games that will draw more people to PS5. The superhero blockbuster sold more than 2.5 million in its first three days on sale, making it the fastest-selling PlayStation game to date.
PS5's holiday sales is likely to also be boosted by next month's release of redesigned, slimmer versions for both the disc-based and digital-only models. The latter can also be expanded with an external Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive that is sold separately.
Lempel also touched on Sony's plans for PlayStation VR 2, which released in February this year. While he did not comment on sales figures, he maintained that "the VR category is important to us."
"It's a category that can help us with innovation," he explained. "It's never going to be the only way people play games, but I'm happy that we're in it.
"There are great experiences to be had and consumers really like it. But it's a nascent business for us."