The current-generation consoles officially came out in November 2020, but current-gen has not even started for many fans. Both PS5 and Xbox Series X are hard to find, and the systems are instantly sold out as soon as stock is available. Supply has not been able to meet the demand for over a year now, and it doesn’t look like current-generation consoles will be available on store shelves anytime soon.
This lack of supply can be attributed to a few reasons, with the ongoing semiconductor shortage possibly being the biggest culprit. Many customers have no choice but to overpay for these consoles. Scalping is a real issue, and it will not be solved unless Sony and Microsoft can drastically improve the supply. Now, a new video has appeared online that shows the extent of this problem.
Posted on the PS4 subreddit, the video shows people standing on the road next to several PS5s. The camera pans to the left to show a vehicle filled with even more PS5 consoles. The slim PS4 model is also available, along with a few Xbox consoles, but the seller only has a few quantities. This short 15-second clip shows everything one needs to know about the scalping situation of these next-gen machines.
As expected, the comments on the post are filled with angry customers. People do not have kind words to share for the scalpers, while some are urging fans not to buy from them. Other users are arguing that people do not have any choice but to buy current-generation consoles from scalpers. Some are surprised that retailers allowed one seller to get access to so many systems, but the scalpers probably have ways to go around any checks or safeguards.
Fans have been waiting for months to get their hands on current-gen consoles, and such videos can be extremely disheartening. Unfortunately, Sony simply cannot manufacture more PS5s, and had to reduce its sales forecast in the recent financial report. Xbox Series X is facing the same problem, although Xbox Series S is more readily available.
Scalping is not limited to PS5 and Xbox Series X, as the latest graphics cards have been facing similar issues. Nvidia’s 3000 series GPUs are extremely difficult to find, and the trend may continue whenever the 4000 series launches. GPUs are also being used in mining cryptocurrency, which has only added to the stock issues. Users are even recommending others to buy a pre-built PC or a gaming laptop instead of giving money to the scalpers.
