Sony has come under fire as gamers struggle to secure a preorder for the upcoming next-gen console, the PlayStation 5.
The release date and price for the two consoles was announced during Sony’s recent State of Play event, with retailers across the world beginning to open their preorders for eager fans.
As one gaming journalist/Twitter user put it: “It’s a complete sh*tshow. 1) Sony doesn’t give a date 2) @geoffkeighley announces Sept. 17 3) Sony announces Sept. 17 for ‘select retailers’* 4) Retailers start going live whenever throughout the day today *Remember Sony’s own pre-order system? Still no update on that.”
Without any prior warning, UK retailers including Smyths Toys and GAME, as well as a number of US stores, allowed customers to nab their preorders in what many are calling an “unfair” move. Both the all-digital and the full PS5 are now sold out pretty much across the board (unless you get super lucky, of course).
Gamers were expecting the State of Play event to reveal when preorders would go live, much in the same way that Xbox confirmed preorders of the Xbox Series X and Series S would be live from September 22.
However, PS5 consoles were being ordered just moments after the release date announcement, leading fans to scramble to secure theirs. Many retailers’ websites crashed, unable to keep up with demand, with gamers reporting issues with checking out which led to the loss of their preorder.
Social media is awash with angry Sony users who’ve been left in the dust when it comes to securing their console, with hundreds of disappointed fans venting their frustration over what’s been deemed a “botched” preorder.
Meanwhile, many people who’ve managed to get their preorders in are trying to sell their consoles on websites like Amazon for a huge profit margin. Even if you’re desperate, please try to not fund people who does this.
Sony has yet to respond to the controversy, but if you wanted to secure a PlayStation 5 at launch and you haven’t yet done so, you might be in for a rocky time.
Featured Image Credit: Sony