PS5: Gamestop has far fewer pre-bookable Digital Editions than those with a player

According to what was reported by Ars Technica, which was able to analyze some Gamestop data, only a quarter of the PS5 units guaranteed for bookings at the chain's stores are Digital Edition, that is, without an optical reader. The figure varies slightly from shop to shop, but the general trend is as indicated.

Ars Technica has analyzed the data of nine different Gamestops, discovering that overall 76% of PS5 guaranteed for reservations are with optical reader and the remaining 24% are Digital Edition. The percentage of Digital Editions sent to individual stores fluctuates between 13 and 33%, with 20/80% being the most frequent ratio. Each store received only a guarantee for a small number of units: between 15 and 30.

Analyzing the data, Ars Technica deduced that this could be a general trend of all stores, at least in the United States , as confirmed to them by sources inside other chains. It should be specified that we are talking about supplies, not demand. The demand for the Digital Edition could be very different and apparently it is very low.

The reasons for Sony's choice to focus more on the edition of the console with optical reader could be many. Meanwhile, they could derive from the belief that this will be the best-selling edition, at least at launch, due to the fact that early adopters are usually willing to spend higher amounts, while buyers of the second now look more at the price.

There is also the possibility that Sony wants to use the Digital Edition as an advertising stunt, to be able to say that the starting price of the PS5 is € 399 and not € 499. Finally, it should not be underestimated that many physical stores are opposed to digital-only consoles and, consequently, do not sell them with great joy, because it means less money for them from selling the games.

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