Sony confirms more PS5 pre-orders are on the way this week following disastrous launch day
SONY have revealed that more PlayStation 5 pre-orders will go live within days and apologised for a chaotic launch last week that left thousands of gamers unable to get hold of the new console.
In a tweet over the weekend, the Japanese tech titan admitted the first round of pre-orders “could have been a lot smoother” and assured fans that more PS5s would be available through to 2021.
The console isn’t out until November, but Sony opened pre-orders with little warning last Thursday, sparking a mad scramble for minimal stock.
Major retailers across the globe reported selling out within minutes, leading to widespread criticism of Sony’s handling of the launch.
The official PlayStation Twitter account wrote on Saturday: “Let’s be honest: PS5 preorders could have been a lot smoother. We truly apologise for that.
“Over the next few days, we will release more PS5 consoles for preorder – retailers will share more details.”
The account added: “More PS5s will be available through the end of the year.”
Given the timing of the tweet, major outlets should have the PS5 back in stock on Tuesday or Wednesday.
In the UK, shops including GAME, John Lewis, Argos and Amazon all stocked the PS5 last week.
Walmart, Best Buy, Target and Amazon were among the US retailers where pre-orders were available on September 17.
It’s safe to assume those outlets will be among the first to get the latest batch of PS5s, though it’s possible other stores will now enter the fray.
It follows a Twitter meltdown last week after shops across the globe sold out of PS5 pre-orders minutes after setting them live.
In the UK, Currys PC World reported selling out of the £449 machine in just 10 minutes.
“Currys PC World has now sold out on all pre-order availability in a record-breaking 10 minutes online and 4 hours in store, beating any record within the business to date,” a spokesperson said.
PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X – when are they out and how much will they cost?
Microsoft has confirmed that the new Xbox Series X and its smaller, cheaper sibling, the Series S, will launch on November 10.
The release date covers the UK, US, Australia and a bunch of other countries worldwide.
The disc-free Series S will cost £249/$299, while the Xbox Series X comes in at £449/$499.
So how does that compare to the new Xbox’s biggest rival, the PlayStation 5?
Sony has revealed the PS5 release date falls on November 12, but not everywhere.
That date only stands for the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
In the UK, you won’t be able to get it until November 19.
The PS5 proper will cost £449.99/$499.99, while the digital edition comes in at £359/$399.
“Gaming fans who haven’t had the chance to get hold of their long awaited consoles with the pre-order will have to patiently wait to hear whether there will be additional console available to pre-order.”
PlayStation fans on Twitter reported stocks running dry within a similar timeframe at shops like Amazon, GAME and John Lewis.
On their websites, the companies failed to give a time frame as to when new stock would be available.
Across the pond, major US Stores including Target, Walmart and Best Buy also struggled to meet gamers’ insatiable demand.
“Walmart literally had like 1 PS5 to pre order. S**t sold out in 1 second,” one Twitter user fumed.
Another wrote: “Man by the time I put my card info to buy the PS5 through Target [the] joint sold out”.
The PS5 is Sony’s latest and greatest gaming console.
It’s the successor to the PS4 and PS4 Pro, and will be available in two distinct versions.
Those are the pricey PS5 proper with all the bells and whistles, and the digital edition, which is cheaper but with lower specs and no disc tray.
Both consoles are out in November with an impressive roster of launch games.
And they’ll be going head-to-head with Microsoft’s next-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
Like Sony, Microsoft has opted to launch two machines: A full-works console with a higher price tag and a cheaper one without a disc tray.
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Are you excited for the PS5? Let us know in the comments!
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