The global semiconductor shortage has crippled manufacturing and supply lines for consoles all over the world for over a couple of years at this point, and that, in turn, has resulted in sales for hardware being constrained. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have all felt the effects of the same, but last week, it was Sony’s console that was the most severely affected- in Japan, at least.
As per weekly Japanese sales data released by Famitsu, the PS5 was outsold by the Xbox Series X/S last week in the region. In fact, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S both managed to outdo the PS5’s collective sales even individually.
The PS5’s two models sold a combined 3,035 units over the course of the week. In comparison, the Xbox Series X/S collectively sold 6,695 units, with the Xbox Series X selling 3,272 units and the Xbox Series S selling 3,423 units. This is far from the first time that Microsoft’s duo of consoles has trumped the PS5’s sales due to supply shortages across various regions of the world.
The Nintendo Switch, meanwhile, was the best-selling console in Japan last week, as it almost always tends to be, by quite a comfortable margin, having sold a total of 50,405 units in Japan over the course of the week.
Earlier this year, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said that the global semiconductor shortage could very well stretch on until as long as 2024- read more on that through here.
