After the big Sony PS5 event this week, a November 19 U.S. ship date and starting price has been announced. And whether it's the $499 PS5 or the $399 digital version without a disc drive, people seem desperate to get their hands on the console.

As customers scrambled to stock up on consoles at their favorite retailers, many wondered if Sony would really be able to provide enough consoles for everyone who wanted one after rumors circulated that Sony had reduced the initial supply of PS5s.

At the time, Sony denied these rumors, but now, in an interview with the Washington Post, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and President Jim Ryan admitted that distribution problems arose during the pandemic. However, Ryan added that Sony is "ready to sell more PlayStation 5 units than we sold PlayStation 4 units in 2013."

Seven years ago, Sony sold approximately 2.1 million PlayStation 4 units worldwide in just two weeks after launch and 1 million on the first day of sales; PS5 sales are an unknown quantity and supply could well be a problem.

This certainly seems to be the case, according to reports from buyers who have gone to retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, GameStop, and Walmart and come across "sold out" messages. Walmart, in particular, reported that they will have more in stock next week, and GameStop reported that they had to go to a physical store to pre-order. There are also reports that at GameStop you had to go to a physical store to pre-order.

Microsoft could not help but laugh at the sacrifice of its rivals in the console market, with the makers of the Xbox Series X tweeting, "Don't worry - we'll let you know the exact time pre-orders will open soon," a clear reference to the PS5's sporadic approach.

Pre-orders for the Xbox Series X will open on September 22, ahead of the November 10 launch; the Xbox Series X will cost $499, the same as the PS5, while the all-digital Xbox Series S will cost $299.