Finding a local or digital retailer that’s accepting pre-orders for the new PlayStation 5 (PS5) is now hard to come by, and there’s a reason behind that.
Taking to Twitter earlier today, PlayStation acknowledged that things went bad in terms of their PS5 pre-order launch.
“Let’s be honest,” said PlayStation via Twitter. “PS5 pre-orders could have been a lot smoother. We truly apologize for that.”
Originally scheduled to launch the day after the PS5 Showcase, which broadcasted on Wednesday, Sept. 16, pre-orders for the new system went live at a variety of local and digital retailers immediately after the showcase.
PlayStation said more pre-orders for the PS5 are on the way, with additional systems to be in stock throughout the rest of the year post launch.
“Over the next few days, we will release more PS5 consoles for pre-order – retailers will share more details. And more PS5s will be available through the end of the year.”
During the PS5 Showcase, gameplay footage of “Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War” was highlighted along with a reveal of “Final Fantasy XVI.” Also featured in the event was footage from “Resident Evil Village,” “Demon’s Souls” and more.
Juan Beltran, a Fresno State senior majoring in communications, was able to pre-order his PS5 online from Wal-Mart and is excited to play a number of games.
“I’m excited for ‘Demon’s Souls’,” Beltran said. “I’m excited for ‘Watch Dogs Legion.’ I’m excited for ‘God of War.’ But yeah, there’s a whole bunch of games that I’m hoping to play.”
Melissa Munoz, a Fresno State graduate in media, communications, and journalism (MCJ), was also lucky enough to pre-order a PS5. Unlike Beltran, however, Munoz pre-ordered the system for her boyfriend but is excited to enjoy movies in 4K.
“I’m so into movies, though, I’m gonna be using [the PS5] mostly to watch my movies but [her boyfriend is] more excited for ‘God of War.’”
To those who have yet to pre-order a PS5, Beltran said to remain patient but to constantly refresh your internet browser when viewing sites like Target, Best Buy, Amazon and Gamestop.
Karen Chavez, a recent Fresno State graduate who majored in history, was among the many who were not able to pre-order the system and was very upset.
“I think it’s unprofessional,” said Chavez, “that retailers launched pre-orders before they should have been launched. They did not properly notify customers, I was told pre-orders were Thursday.”
Chavez said that a friend mentioned pre-orders were available on Wednesday night, but by the time an attempt was made it was too late and has since given up the search.
“I think Sony did a terrible job on this launch,” Chavez said. “The hype is there, and there are millions of us that are awaiting the release of the PS5.”
Scalpers have recently taken to the internet in effort to upcharge their PS5 pre-orders. Some are even selling their orders for eight times the amount of the original price on eBay.
There are two different versions of the PS5, which is scheduled to launch on Nov. 12. The first system includes a disk-drive, internal storage (825GB SSD), 4K support and more, which will retail for $499. The other PS5 system is essentially the same console, with the exception that this system is an all digital platform without a disk-drive and will retail for $399.
The PS5 is just one half of the 2020 console war, as Microsoft’s rival system, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, is scheduled to launch on Nov. 10 and will retail for $499 (XBSX) and $299 (XBXS) respectively.