PS4: Sony CEO Says Demand Could Outweigh Supply

On the heels of the PlayStation 4's full reveal at E3 2013, Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House commented on the possibility that Sony might not be able to fulfill consumer demand for its next-gen console.

Speaking with the Wall Street Journal this week, House stated that "demand may well outstrip supply" for the PS4. That's not surprising to us in the least, for a couple of reasons.

First, the PS4 is much more consumer-friendly than its chief rival, the Xbox One from Microsoft. At the PS4 reveal event Monday night, which you can watch here, Sony revealed that the PS4 would feature no DRM or used-game restrictions. Sony later clarified that this absolute position on DRM and used games applies only to first-party games, though that's still much more flexible than Microsoft's stance with the Xbox One, which requires the console to "check in" via the Internet once a day. There are also restrictions on how and where Xbox One gamers can resell used games.

Second, the price of the PS4 is significantly lower than the Xbox One. The launch price of the PS4 is $399, Sony revealed this week at E3 2013. Meanwhile, the launch price of the Xbox One is $499, $100 more than its main rival. With these two key factors in mind, it's easy to see why Sony could have trouble meeting consumer demand for the PS4.

What do you think of Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House's comments? Have you had difficulty pre-ordering the PS4 because of low supply? If so, where and when were you attempting to pre-order the PS4? Sound off in the comments below.