2020 was a challenging year for the console and PC industry, and it seems like 2021 isn't shaping up to be much different either. Worldwide shortages of parts, exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic, have made it difficult for many companies to keep up with demands for their products. Just as chip shortages have affected AMD and intel, similar shortages have impacted Sony and its PlayStation 5, which released last Christmas.

A recent briefing with Hiroki Totoki, the Chief Financial Officer of the Sony Group, saw him assuring analysts and the financial world that he didn't believe that interest in the PS5 would drop as the world begins to re-engage with life as the pandemic winds down. The CFO is quoted as saying that the "market share and reputation" of PlayStation would keep demand high.

The silicon shortages have even seen some speculating that Sony might re-design the interior structure of the console if the material continues to be hard to come by. These shortages meant that Sony wasn't able to capitalize on the PS5 during the lockdown, which saw millions homebound and turning to online gaming platforms and digital game sales. 

In spite of the lack of stock, PS5 sales skyrocketed. Sony has sold nearly 8 million PS5 consoles since the launch in late 2020 and is aiming to sell nearly 15 million by April 2022. As of right now, that's quite a long way behind the PS4's 116 million units sold since 2013 - which, obviously, has had a much longer run at it - but Sony is confident that the next gen features of the PS5 will help it overtake that figure before 2028. 

Although not having enough units to meet demand has been problematic for Sony - as well as many other tech companies - the fact that demand is so high sends a strong message to other consumers that the PS5 is a good product. In general, reviews are extremely positive, and the hype doesn't seem to be dying down anytime soon.

I tend to wait on buying new consoles. They have to release with some really compelling games to entice me to rush out and get it on launch day - the last time I remember buying a console because of its launch titles was the PlayStation 2 for Kingdom Hearts. To be honest, it wasn't even on launch day proper - it was about two weeks afterward, once I'd watched the first 2 hours of gameplay at a friend's house.

Are you a day 1 console buyer and have you managed to get your hands on a PS5? Share your thoughts!