Sony has announced that on its release day on November 12, all PlayStation 5 sales will be done through online retailers only. They decided to conduct PS5 launch sales exclusively online because of the COVID-19 pandemic and asked people not to camp outside of stores. If you have pre-ordered for pick-up at a local retailer though, you should still be able to do it at the designated appointment time and under each store’s safety protocols. Quoting Sony Interactive Entertainment content communication Sid Shuman on the PlayStation Blog:
In the interest of keeping our gamers, retailers, and staff safe amidst COVID-19, today we are confirming that all day-of launch sales will be conducted through the online stores of our retail partners. No units will be available in-store for purchase on launch day (November 12 or November 19, depending on your region) – please don’t plan on camping out or lining up at your local retailer on launch day in hopes of finding a PS5 console for purchase. Be safe, stay home, and place your order online.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t12x7k_oecc
The PS5 will launch first for the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea on November 12. Meanwhile, other regions including Europe, the Middle East, South America, other parts of Asia, and South Africa will be getting their shares a few days later on November 19.
When Sony first announced the PS5 launch date, fans were left confused with how Sony and retailers handled the pre-orders. Still, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has been saying that “there will be more PS5s at launch than PS4s”. Hopefully, that means there won’t be a shortage of unit stocks. Even without pre-ordering, hopefully, we will be able to secure our own PS5s without too much trouble. What do you think of Sony’s decision to make the PS5 launch sale online-only? Let me know in the comments below.
