PS5 had second-lowest PlayStation console launch in Japan

Though the video game industry is bigger than it's ever been, on a purely statistical basis, the PlayStation 5 has surprisingly had a rather tepid launch. In Japan, the console managed to shift 118,085 units in its first four days, making it the second lowest PlayStation console launch in the country’s history. That being said, the reason for this is reportedly due to stock shortages, not lack of demand.

As reported by Japanese magazine Famitsu, the PlayStation 5 sold 118,085 units in its first four days (12-15 November) on sale. This number marks the second-lowest launch for PlayStation in the country, only selling better than the PS3 (which sold 88,000 units).

The best selling console launch was unsurprisingly the PS2, which sold 631,000 units. Perhaps more surprisingly is the fact that the second best-selling console was the PS Vita with 325,000 units.

While these figures may be concerning at first, the reason for the console’s relatively low sales is reportedly due to lack of stock, and not from lack of demand. According to Gematsu, both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles sold out immediately upon pre-orders going live. Since then, retailers have had to resort to a lottery system for what few extra consoles they have managed to obtain.

This stock shortage has been felt over the whole world, as both PlayStation and Xbox struggle to produce enough consoles to meet demand during a global pandemic, which has seen output vastly reduced. Hopefully both PlayStation and Xbox will be able to ramp up production soon, allowing more fans to get their hands on these much-desired consoles.

KitGuru says: Did you manage to get your hands on a PS5? How difficult was it to pre-order? When do you think supply will return to normal? Let us know down below.

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