A small group of PS5 scalpers were caught standing on a snowy sidewalk with an overwhelming number of boxed new-gen consoles surrounding them. PS5 scalpers on the reseller market have posed a problem since the console launched in November 2020. In February 2021, an analysis from DEV Community user and Avant Senior Associate Michael Driscoll estimated that roughly 10 percent of current-gen PlayStation consoles sold at the time were thanks to scalpers.
Resellers continue to buy up available stocks of pretty much anything in scarce supply. This not only includes PS5, of course, but also Xbox Series X/S consoles, coveted graphics cards, and even Pokémon and Animal Crossing amiibo cards. It seems the reseller market appeals to all shapes and sizes, too, with one teenager managing to rake in well over $1 million in revenue by exploiting shortages on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Pokémon cards. Since PS5 supply shortages are expected to persist throughout this year, the reseller market is bound to continue thriving for the foreseeable future.
Recently, TikTok user joeybagadonutswz (via ThomasMightSnap on Twitter), captured footage of scalpers apparently taking stock of the massive PS5 inventory on a snowy street. The brief video shows four people standing around a stack of PS5 digital and disc consoles, with a pickup truck and van full of even more consoles off to the side. ThomasMightSnap added in a follow-up tweet that police were reportedly watching the scene nearby, though that much has not yet been confirmed by any reliable sources.
Why the group chose to stand out in the open street to conduct business boggles the mind. And, for some reason, they didn't seem too concerned about their surroundings or the fact that thieves could have exploited the situation at a moment's notice. No one can say these persistent PlayStation 5 scalpers aren't at the very least a bold bunch - that's if the boxes contained PS5 consoles and not something else entirely.
As most are well aware, the ongoing semiconductor shortage has adversely affected PS5 sales for Sony. Earlier this week, the hardware manufacturer confirmed in an earnings report that sales of the newest console had topped 17 million units. It's an impressive number, but sales now trail behind those of the PS4 during the same period in its lifecycle. As a consequence, Sony adjusted its projections for the period ending March 31, 2022 - instead of shifting 22.6 million PS5 consoles by the designated date, the company estimates it will have sold only 19.3 million units. The platform holder expects to make up the difference as time goes on.
Source: joeybagadonutswz/TikTok (via ThomasMightSnap/Twitter 1, 2)