Sony Says PS5's All Gone

The next generation of consoles released earlier in November, and the PS5 and Xbox Series X have seen major successes and setbacks. Each console has sold out regularly, with both experiencing shortages. In response, Sony said that every available PS5 console has been purchased.

"Everything is sold. Absolutely everything is sold," Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan told Russian outlet TASS. "And everything will be sold in Russia, there's no doubt about that. I've spent much of the last year trying to be sure that we can generate enough demand for the product. And now in terms of my executive bandwidth I'm spending a lot more time on trying to increase supply to meet that demand."

Ryan briefly touched on trying to produce a console in the midst of the pandemic, saying he "wouldn't recommend it to anybody else." This was due to the fact that Sony didn't have access to production factories, as the coronavirus complicated the console manufacturing process early in the pandemic.

Ryan also discussed the share of PS5 buyers who would transition from the PS4 by year's end. He said that, although the PS4 user base is still "going to remain incredibly important certainly for 2020, 2021 and 2022," about 75 percent of PS5 purchasers are those transitioning from the PS4.

Although the PS5 has generally been a win for Sony, generating more console internet searches than the rival Xbox Series X, the system has seen its share of disappointments. For example, one reviewer reported that their PS5 was completely dead due to a dire hard drive issue. Moreover, multiple PS5 users experienced an issue when putting their consoles into rest mode. After doing so, the users had to enact a power cycle to get the PS5 working properly again.

Forbes writer Eric Kain also listed some issues they've experienced with their PS5. These include audio problems that occur when a plugged-in PS5 headset runs out of battery, as well as inexplicable console crashes and spontaneous error messages saying the console hadn't been turned off properly when such was not the case. 

All around, the PS5 has been getting very positive reviews, in spite of its issues. TechRadar gave the console 4.5 stars out of 5, calling it "a welcome upgrade on the PS4 and an exciting portal to next-gen gameplay." Further, The Verge praised the console for its next-gen improvements, stating, "once it's in your hands, the next generation is a lot more obvious."