Today I wanted to buy a PS5. I'm aware that it's not easy to get one at the moment, so I called Gamestop before going to the store.

The Gamestop (Switzerland) employee told me on the phone, that they stopped taking people on a waiting list (which contains over 200 names), because Sony stopped the production of PS5 consoles in Europe and Gamestop expects that the people on the waiting list have to wait more than 6 months to get a console. I assume that Sony stopped the production because of missing components.

Then I asked if it's possible to get a Xbox Series X, because that would have been my second choice. The Gamestop employee told me that the situation with the Xbox Series X is even worse, because Microsoft decided to prefer the asian market ahead of Europe and there are no Xbox Series X consoles expected to be shipped to Europe anytime soon. I don't know if "asian market" means Japan or China. I assume the latter. But on the other hand, the Xbox Series S is currently in stock and can be purchased at the Gamestop store. Since I prefer to have physical media I refused this offer.

If Sony really have stopped/interrupted the PS5 production in Europe (their strongest market), then sales should drop dramatically in the next couple of months.

Take it with a grain of salt. Managers get emails about upcoming stock or if there will be a long gap in shipments will be notified. I don't think the PR reps would tell them something like that. If it's not a manager and a typical Gamestop employee then they know as much as a typical forum goer. I remember the Wii shortages and we were not told when new shipments would come in until last minute. Sometimes that day of delivery.  I can't imagine Sony and MS stopped all production. Just with the chip shortages and some reports the shortages might be getting worse, just might be harder for MS and Sony to get them shipped out. Also the possibility if things are too short supply they may not ship them to retailers and sell direct only for the time being.

I can't see Microsoft prioritizing Japan over Europe on their console, and Sony is not going to stop making consoles for Europe. I'm not sure about the European market, but in North America they can be found if you do enough research on where/when they are going to be available. I would try another gamestop or another store entirely. In North America there is a good resource in Wario64 on Twitter, I'm not sure if there is something similar in Switzerland, maybe try to find a good discord channel that discusses where/when they are coming.

Tales From a Gamestop Employee's Ass

They just say that trying to get you to buy the Series S they have in stock.

Because some low level Gamestop employee answering you on the phone from whatever GameStop Switzerland stocklist he can see with his access rights speaks for the whole European market of Ps5/Xboxs. Right... 

Next up... end of the world, because a night shift truck driver saw flashes of light up in the sky during his graveyard shift. 

There are frequent PS5 drops in the UK, I'll assume the EU is the same. Guy talking out of his ass.

I don't buy this.

It's more likely that the staff are buying the consoles themselves and scalping them than this...

I've heard that it happens.

There's Gamestop in Switzerland? You learn something new about your country every day...

Anyway, that's probably bullshit especially since there has been a lot of drops last week for PS5 in several stores online (Digitec and Media Markt in particular).

Got mine last November with Manor, but since September it's true that not a single store in Switzerland allows you to be on a waiting list anymore (I tried).