Sony Talks PS5 Preorders Outpacing PS4, Warns Of Supply Issues

Sony might have caught everyone off-guard when the company decided to open preorders for the PlayStation 5 not long after revealing its November 12 release date, but that hasn't stopped demand from eclipsing that of the PlayStation 4 during its preorder period.

Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, has stated in an interview with Reuters that demand for that PlayStation 5 has outstripped the company's supply capability at launch, but that the number of orders already placed far exceeds that of the first few months of the PlayStation 4. In just 12 hours, Sony sold more PS5 consoles than in the first 12 weeks of PS4 preorder sales in the United States.

Finding a preorder for a PS5 is difficult now, and Ryan says that Sony is trying its best to ensure additional stock for the upcoming holiday season. But Ryan warns that it will likely remain challenging to find a PS5 if you don't already have one ordered.

"The demand as expressed by the level of pre-order has been very, very considerable," Ryan added.

Elsewhere in the interview, Ryan mentioned the possibility of potential mergers and studio acquisitions in the future. Microsoft recently acquired ZeniMax Media, and with it the entire catalogue of Bethesda published titles such as Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Doom.

The PlayStation 5 is launching on November 12, with Demon's Souls, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and more launching alongside it. Destruction All-Stars was originally also scheduled for launch but will now launch on PlayStation Plus in February 2021. Check out our hands-on impression of the PS5 here, with a detailed look at the impressive DualSense controller.