Sony Interactive Entertainment's big cheese Jim Ryan is as pleased as punch with the launch of the PlayStation 5, and claimed that "absolutely everything is sold."
This comment came from an interview with TASS, a Russian news outlet, last week. "Of all the things that I've learned this year, one is that I wouldn't plan on doing another big console launch in the midst of a global pandemic, and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody else," said Ryan. "It's been difficult, it's been challenging from the production side, not being able to get anybody into the factories in Asia... Before we started production, we had to do all the manufacturing preparation by camera remotely. I mean, just imagine that for a precision device like the PlayStation 5."
Indeed, there was a moment in March where analysts were theorising that the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X would launch in 2021 owing the major upheaval to global industries from the pandemic. However, Sony and Microsoft weathered the storm, and their consoles arrived with only minor commotion. The unfortunately short supply of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X did not match the stratospheric demand for the whizzy gizmos, and retailers struggled to shoulder the traffic of so many people vying for a new console. Those who missed out were assured frequently that new stock was on its way, while scalpers attempted to secure some eye-wateringly inflated prices for the already-spenny products.
Advert
Jim Ryan is pretty proud of how his team managed to navigate a console launch in the midst of a pandemic, and announced that "absolutely everything is sold." Big words, for sure, but given the utter kerfuffle and stress over trying to purchase a PS5 while the supply is still restricted, we're inclined to believe him. Moreover, Ryan expects that the PlayStation 5 will outsell its predecessor in the equivalent window of time. For a reminder, the PlayStation 4 sold seven million units in four months, and it didn't have a global crisis to contend with.
The launch line-up for the next-gen gizmo is undeniably attractive, which is a factor in its success. Astro's Playroom is delightful, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is thrilling, Bluepoint's reimagining of Demon's Souls is mesmerising, and our Dean Abdou hasn't put down Assassin's Creed Valhalla for want of anything else. However, in this same interview with TASS, Ryan sounds like he isn't sure whether The Elder Scrolls VI will end up on PlayStation 5, following the mega acquisition of Bethesda's parent company by Microsoft.
Featured Image Credit: SonyTopics: PlayStation 5, PS5, News