In some regions, the PlayStation 5 launch is only a week away, and Sony has informed potential buyers that the next-generation console will no longer be available in stores on November 12.
On the official PlayStation blog, Sid Shuman, Senior Director, YOU Content Communications, posted a short article on Thursday explaining the company’s reasons for the unavailability of consoles – and it’s no surprise that this is related to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic.
“On the day of launch (November 12 or 19, depending on your region), there will be no equipment available for purchase in the store – please do not plan to camp or queue at your local retailer on the day of launch in the hope of finding a PS5 console for purchase. Be safe, stay at home and place your order online,” wrote Shuman.
This statement does not mean that there will be no physical consoles at Best Buy, GameStop, Target and other retailers, it just means that those who were lucky enough to place their pre-order will be able to pick it up on November 12 (or 19 in other regions). Players must confirm their pickup times with their local retailer and follow their security protocols.
The news from Sony comes the day after the United States announced the highest number of new positive COVID 19 tests in the country.
According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the United States recorded a record 102,831 new positive tests on Wednesday – the highest increase in infections in a single day since the outbreak began.
While players who had planned to queue up at their local retailers now need to change their strategy, the ability to pre-order a PS5 or the PS5 Digital has not been an easy task since it went live in mid-September.
Unlike Microsoft, which told shoppers in advance when and where they could buy the Xbox Series X, retailers have taken it upon themselves to tell players when they have PS5 stock available to buy online.
Sony CEO Jim Ryan told Reuters in October that the company had pre-sold as many PS5 consoles in the United States in the first 12 hours as the PS4 had in the first 12 weeks.
The PS5 will be launched in the following countries on November 12th: United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea. The rest of the world will receive it on November 19.
Do you have your pre-order ready? What do you think of Sony’s statement not to sell the PS5 in the store on the day of launch? Let us know in the comments section….
