PS3 in good supply, Wii units sold out across US

Matt Martin 11:54 17/01/2007

Sony disputes PS3 demand slowing, points to successful supply chain

Consumers looking to buy a PlayStation 3 in the US have multiple outlets to choose from, as over 50 per cent of all stores surveyed have units in stock.

Compared to the Nintendo Wii, which is in short supply in all regions across the globe, the PS3 is readily available in specialist and electrical retailers across North America, where Sony recently announced it had shipped a total of one million units.

"Our channel checks yesterday of 52 retail stores, from boutiques to big-box retailers, showed that 28 of the 52 stores had PS3 consoles in stock, while none had Wii consoles in stock," said PJ McNealy of American Technology Research.

While some have suggested the amount of stock available may be indication of slowing demand, Sony's David Karraker disputes the idea, instead pointing out that the company is doing such a good job of supplying retailers with available units.

"It isn't because demand has weakend, it is because we have kept the supply pipeline moving," Karraker told Reuters.

New hardware traditionally suffers from short supply at retail, as the demand from early-adopting consumers is fulfilled.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 came under increased pressure from retail following its launch in 2005, with supplies limited through the first quarter of 2006.

Despite the amount of PS3 units on store shelves, PJ McNealy pointed out that high levels of stock didn't not neccesarily indicate slow demand.