14 DAY TRIAL // Sony can't seem to keep up with the demand for its next-gen computer entertainment system, the PlayStation 4, as it has revealed that the console is still in short supply in Europe.
The Japanese hardware and software colossus hasn't yet caught up with the launch demand for the PlayStation 4 in Europe, as revealed by Sony Computer Entertainment UK Managing Director Fergal Gara.
"We haven’t yet caught up with the initial demand across Europe. We are still dealing with the day one market," he says in an interview with TrustedReviews.
"We are very close to being in a full supply situation, but we are not quite there yet," he adds.
Although he describes the supply chain for the PlayStation 4 as being close to covering the demand, he admitts that the issues continue to result in a loss of sales for the company.
In any case, although Sony has offered no update on PlayStation 4 sales figures for the moment, Gara has mentioned that the console "is still selling, and selling very well."
"We are in a bit better shape in the UK, but there are countries that are still selling out every last unit that drops into the market on a weekly basis. A good example at the moment would be Germany who had phenomenal sales figures last week, but they just haven't had enough stock so far," he reveals.
Although losing PlayStation 4 sales due to the lack of stock might potentially be pushing customers in the direction of the much more readily available Xbox One, that is offered at the same price, sans Kinect, might be causing Sony to hemorrhage potential revenue, Gara still regards the issue as being of no consequence, highlighting the upcoming festive period as guaranteed to recoup any lost sales.
"We have spent a lot of time at E3 talking about the plan for Christmas and I think we've got enough exciting content to be able to rekindle that interest. Anyone who may have said 'forget about it, I will leave it for a while,' I think we have enough of a story now to say to them that they should reassess," he concludes.
If this is indeed true, and not just a PR stunt meant to artificially increase demand for Sony's platform, then it might offer Microsoft a tiny window to wedge their Xbox One in prospective customers' view and sway the balance into their favor, or at least try to do so.