Finding a PS4 in stock is getting to be like Where’s Waldo. As expected, PlayStation 4 availability was limited before Christmas but, surprisingly enough, the situation seems to be getting worse in the United States.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , we’ve been using PS4 in stock trackers to keep an eye on supply levels since the day after Christmas . Unfortunately, we’ve been seeing a high price markup and PS4 bundle deals have been something of a rip-off .
Gamers have been getting a little annoyed with Sony. Although manufacturers are outputting around one million PlayStation 4 consoles per month since the launch, the supply isn’t enough to keep up with demand, which was 4.2 million units sold at last count. Going on Twitter, Sony just made the situation worse by simply saying “be patient” in response to questions pointing out how easy it is to find a Xbox One in stock in comparison.
Sony Computer Entertainment’s John Koller probably realized this, since he mentioned how gamers have trouble finding a PS4 in stock:
“I think the upside for PS4 in the next set amount of time is fantastic. We’ve been very open about this, but demand is going to chase supply a bit so we need to continue to supply the market as much as we can. We’ll keep doing that, but as soon as it hits retail it’s leaving.”
Fergal Gara echoed this statement, saying their “focus now is rebuilding stock levels.” But in general, American gamers are scrambling while those in the UK can now find a PS4 in stock .
On December 31, The Inquisitr made the incorrect prediction that we’d be able to find a PlayStation 4 in stock at the normal price of $399.99 “within a week or two.” At the time, that estimate seemed reasonable since the average prices were dropping and PS4 availability seemed to be increasing. But now it seems the situation is worsening, not improving.
For example, last week we noted the Amazon PlayStation 4 deals page listed the standalone console for sale. That’s now gone. In addition, even used PS4 consoles are selling for $500, while the price on a new console has slightly increased since the last time we checked. On eBay, PlayStation 4 Buy It Now options once were down to $475, including shipping. I just checked and the best option I saw was $485.25, although in previous times the going rate was usually $500 on up. Worse, it used to be possible to get hold of expensive PS4 bundle deals but now those are sold out, as well.
So finding a PS4 in stock online is apparently a losing strategy. We’d suggest just calling local stores on a regular basis about their PlayStation 4 availability. While I haven’t heard of good deals online, I have heard of people buying local successfully… and at the normal, non-crazy price.