Securing an Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 this year should be difficult enough, but finding one of their cheaper siblings could be nearly impossible. That’s according to data from everyone’s favorite big-box games retailer, Gamestop, whose preorder allocations suggest that Sony and Microsoft are manufacturing a lot less Xbox Series S and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition consoles.
Data compiled by ArsTechnica reveals that Sony’s Digital Edition comprises as little as 13 percent of all PlayStation 5 allocations. “The Digital Edition ratios at individual locations ranged from 13 to 33 percent of all the available PS5 preorders, with 20 percent being the most common ratio,” Ars wrote. “Each individual GameStop location in our sample received anywhere from 15 to 30 PS5 units total, with 20 being the most common number.”
Things aren’t looking good for the Xbox Series S, either. Leaker Wario64 claims that the average Gamestop is getting 6 to 12 Xbox Series X consoles (which aren’t good numbers to begin with), but only 2 to 4 Series S units. Employees have also been complaining about how their allocations aren’t even hitting double digits.
some numbers I heard for GameStop per-store allocations for Xbox Series preorders:
— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 21, 2020
Series X – 6-12 per store
Series S – 2-4 per store
Our friends from across the pond are seeing similar disparities. Over in the UK, Eurogamer polled major retailers and found that the PS5 Digital Edition only comprises 20 to 25 percent of total allocations.
A popular theory is that Sony and Microsoft are clamping down on Digital Edition and Series S production because both come at a greater loss. It’s also a clever way to get impatient gamers to spring for the standard, more expensive versions.