Good news / Bad news: For those who already know they are going to buy a PlayStation 5, the good news is that pre-orders started at 12 am this morning. The bad news is they are also already sold out. You can still wait in line to wait in line, though, if you pre-order your pre-order.
Hours after Sony announced the PlayStation 5's release date and pricing, pre-orders went up for grabs. Several retailers, including Best Buy, Amazon, Target, and GameStop, went live with their pre-order pages for the PS5, but as of right now, good luck finding one available. They all seem to have sold their allotments within less than 24 hours, and there is no indication when or if a new lot will be available.
For example, Amazon's product page says, "Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock" for both the standard and digital versions. Target advises customers to check back on launch day, indicating that it does not expect to get any more pre-order units.
At this point, it looks like your only chance is to register with Sony directly. Last month, it posted an invite-only pre-order page on its website. It explains there is a limited quantity of units available. To get an invite, users must register with their PSN ID. So pre-ordering a pre-order has just become a thing with the PS5.
All standalone units and bundled packages are sold out at GameStop.
However, even if you sign up, there is no guarantee that you will get an invite. Sony has a selection process for choosing who gets to order based on "previous interests and PlayStation activities," whatever that means. If you do receive an invitation, you may still miss out.
In the company's FAQ, under the question, "If I receive an invitation, am I guaranteed to be able to pre-order a PS5 console," the answer is: "No. Each invitation is open for a limited time and quantities are limited per PSN ID per transaction." This stipulation applies not just to consoles, but also accessories like controllers and headsets.
A shortage of PlayStation 5 units was not unexpected. Earlier this week, we reported that PS5 production was reduced from 15 million units to 11 million, according to Bloomberg. Yesterday, Sony issued a statement refuting shortage claims.
"While we do not release details related to manufacturing, the information provided by Bloomberg is false," read the statement. "We have not changed the production number for PlayStation 5 since the start of mass production."
That may be true but does not explain why less than 24 hours after pre-orders started, none are left. Another possibility is that Sony is intentionally holding back to drive up perceived demand to create marketing hype, but it wouldn't do that, would it?