PS4 Shortage Is Leading To Console Scalping
While Sony is powering ahead with the next-gen release of the PlayStation 5, that doesn't mean we're quite ready to leave the PlayStation 4 behind just yet. Alongside players scrambling to get their hands on the PS5 - as sold out signs plague us all - the lack of next-gen consoles has also led to a shortage of PS4s.
Although the PS4 fell short of topping the PlayStation 2's record-breaking sales of over 155 million (as the best-selling console of all time), this plucky system has still sold an impressive 116 million to overtake the likes of the PlayStation 3 and OG PlayStation.
Why is there a PS4 shortage?
According to a post on ResetEra, there's a serious PS4 shortage in territories like Canada. On the forum, one disgruntled gamer said they haven't been able to find a PS4 stock on Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and numerous other retailers. Worryingly, they said they've been keeping an eye on levels and it looks like the PS4 has been sold out since March.
Others chimed in with their own experiences, with reports that a PS4 shortage has led to a gap in the market that scalpers have quickly filled. Someone claimed they'd seen a PS4 Pro with a 2TB drive being sold for over $900 CAD on a gaming Discord. Another openly admitted, "I was in GameStop a week ago and bought a perfectly used PS4 someone was trading in for $120. Sold it a week later for $250. That’s how bad it is".
Explaining what's going on, someone else added, "It's definitely an unusual situation for older consoles, but it's more or less a perfect storm of problems to throw supply chains across the globe out of whack. One reason Sony has been able to still sell 10 million PS5's through all this is by cutting PS4's off the production line".
The OP was baffled that PS5s had been in stock the day before they posted, yet they're unable to get their hands on a PS4. Then again, it makes sense that Sony has been ploughing its resources into getting as many PS5s out of the factory as possible instead of focussing on a nearly obsolete console. It's a model that's working, as the PS5 has officially crossed 10 million consoles sold.
Will there continue to be a PS4 shortage?
If you think a PS4 shortage is bad now, expect it to get worse as the current-gen console heads into the twilight of its life cycle. First released in 2013, the PlayStation 4 has had a great run that's delivered AAA titles like The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption 2, GTA V, and God of War. However, Sony has confirmed the end is nigh, with the PS4 being discontinued in Japan as of January 2021. Some Western markets are still producing PS4 models, but for how much longer?
There are already plans for a redesigned PS5. Although it won't be like the PS4 Pro or PS4 Slim, it's planned to change the internal components to help deal with the part shortages that have been affecting the supply chain. Across the board, there's a global console shortage that's been a mix of the pandemic giving a boost to the gaming industry and disrupting supplies.
Many expected the price of the PS4 to plummet following the release of the PS5, but at least in some territories, it's the exact opposite. Like with the Super Mario 3D All-Stars scalping scandal, it's unlikely that people are stumping up for these ridiculous price tags. Then again, some are desperate to own a PS4 right now and are willing to go to extreme lengths to add to their collection.