Is it safe to shop in person for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?

The video game industry, like many others, has been affected by the ongoing Covid-19 epidemic. Major gaming conventions and events were canceled. Video games have been delayed as developers shift to remote working setups. All for good reason: these cancellations, delays and adjustments have been crucial in creating games and ensuring the safety of the players.

In November, the epidemic will impact the industry’s new console season, with the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Fans will face an unusual and timely question: Is it safe to make face-to-face purchases for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X during launch? ?

Sony announced in early November that it would not sell the PlayStation 5 in retail stores on launch day, a move to limit crowds. “Please do not plan to camp or visit your local retailer on the day of the launch in hopes of getting a PS5 console for purchase,” wrote Sid Schumann, director of Sony Interactive Entertainment Communications. “Be safe, stay home, and place your order online.” People with in-store pickups at local retailers will be able to do so “at the appointed appointment time.[s], ”Sony said. Likewise, buy the best and Walmart Announced on Thursday that it only sells its consoles online.

But on November 10 and 12, when the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, respectively, are released, stores may still be more crowded than usual, putting both employees and shoppers at risk. Sony’s policy console launching could help reduce congestion at stores during the day. However, some shoppers may be underdated, which can be a problem.

To answer the question of whether it is safe to buy a new console in person, Bahukone spoke to epidemiologists and health experts to determine the risks of a crowded console launch. To put it bluntly, the crowds at stores on November 10 and 12 – and, of course, other days – are unsafe for shoppers and employees.

Now what’s going on with the next-console launch?

The launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will be held during the second boom in the COVID-19 case in the United States. November 4 was its first day in the United States, with more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases, and the number of cases has been steadily rising since last week.

Rules for gatherings, both inside and outside, vary by country and state, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that gatherings individually are more risky activities, and that people should enforce social distance and wear masks to reduce spread. As the number of people increases, so does the risk of how long people gather. It’s also important to keep an eye on community transmission rates – higher rates mean higher risk.

There is no way to make sure a store visit is 100% safe. Dr. Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of San Francisco. According to Chrisia London, the safest way to make sure you don’t contract a COVID-19 is to stay home.

That said, that doesn’t mean you are Can’t Go to the store – just do it for yourself, your family and Employees working at the store. Stores can reduce risk to ensure a safe experience for customers and employees. Stores Should There are policies in place to try to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but remember: reducing risk is not the same as eliminating it.

Bahukone asked several retailers about console launch week safety plans. No major retailers – including Target, Mart Mart or Gamestop – provide us with detailed information. Of course, stores will continue their standard COVID processes, but he declined to share plans for the growing congestion potential. However, some retailers have since opted to sell the console in the store – at least for a while, hoping to keep the crowd low.

Retailers may not expect additional crowds, though evidence points to lines: in September, people lined up in front of dozens of local Gamestop stores for pre-orders of St Online PlayStation pre, after console pre-orders quickly sold out. And while Sony has announced that the PlayStation 5 will only be sold online at launch, it’s not clear how many customers expecting to buy one in person on November 12 will receive the message with just one week’s notice.

It is clear that buying the next online next-gen console and delivering it to your home is a safe option considering your own personal safety. Some stores like Target allow customers to shop online and may use a car-side pickup at a nearby store. However, it is unclear what protocol space is in the delivery, which could put warehouse and shipping workers at risk.

Can I go to the store for an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5?

As we mentioned earlier, the choice of going to the store to buy the Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 is yours. You have to evaluate the risk on your own terms for a safe potential experience. Some things to keep in mind are whether you live with or in close contact with people at high risk of complications such as COVID-19, the elderly or people with immunodeficiency. If that is the case, then your decision puts others at risk.

If you decide to shop individually, there are a few additional things you can consider.

One thing to think about early on is how different this trip might be from any other trip to the store in the last six months. While console launches often cause large crowds in previous pay generations, the global epidemic and the ease of pre-ordering and pre-ordering means that stores may be much less crowded than in the past. If you call or drive to your local store immediately after release and aren’t too busy, then opt for a new console – if it has stock – not too different from a regular grocery store post-covid trip Have. Just wear your mask, keep your distance and be respectful and responsible. But when stores are crowded things get a little more complicated and the risk of infection starts to increase.

Medical experts said the biggest concern is the possibility of large groups of people gathering inside poorly ventilated stores, as this is the perfect environment for the virus to spread. Stores must be able to handle any interaction and choice in a controlled way to allow social distance. The first thing you should do before picking your next-gen console in person is to call a few local stores and see what their plans are. Any plans for crowded stores?

If stores plan to be crowded, the best option would be for shoppers to stay out, where the risk of spreading the virus is low.

“I think the other thing is keeping a limited number of people in the store at a time that creates a kind of system through which people get that kind of console and they go to the next place to pay for it, where you don’t have everyone. “All goes together,” the Ph.D. Dr. Atif Kukaswadia said. In epidemiology.

Stores also rely on more basic rules, such as enforcing a mandatory mask policy – something experts say is effective and simple. The expert we’ve talked to has warned against taking trips to every store you don’t need a mask for, even if you wear it. For example, the U.S. Gamestep customers are required to wear a mask in the store, allowing a limited number of customers in the store at a time. However, according to an internal memo from Gasstop released in July, Gamestop employees cannot deny unmasked customer service.

“Masks prevent you from delivering them to others, other people are sending you,” Kukaswadia said. “You’re wearing a mask to protect others, and if you’re doing that you’re doing your part to help others buy. [safely]”

He continued: “But if you are wearing a mask, you can still choose [the virus] Above and the chances are even higher. Kukaswadia suggests that one possible solution to issues like this is to find the time when the store is the busiest and then come back.

Senior Associate Dean at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo, Dr. Nancy Nielsen, frankly tells him: “Everyone should be masked.”

Regardless of store policies, there is more to consider: for example, what is the spread of the virus in your area? Is it an area with a fairly small number of cases, or is it overly spread?

“If the rate of COVID-19 infection in one’s community is more than 5% or is increasing, it is really foolish to go to a crowded store.” Said Nielsen.

What’s the best way to buy Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5?

Although still not infection-proof, the curbside pickup is as close as we have talked to you experts. A curbside pickup, especially when both the customer and the employee are wearing a mask, or when the employee places an empty item in the car without close contact with the customer, is less likely to spread COVID-19, making it easily the most preferred option. . . To further minimize the risk, some retailers are thus assigning appointment time to people who choose their console. Best Buy customers have started receiving emails Schedule appointments to pick up their pre-orders at stores. Other retailers will have similar systems; On TwitterNeither Xbox Series X nor PlayStation 5 will be available for walk-up customers, Target wrote.

“[Curbside pickup is] “You can actually reach home to deliver,” Dr. Kukswadia said. “It’s super convenient, super easy. You are not communicating with the people you are interacting with in the store. ”

He continued: “What we know [COVID-19] – And this could change – is that it’s not really something that lives longer on the surface. So, if you really want to be safe, take it home and either take the box out and leave it on the table for a few hours, or take it out and clean the sides of the lisole, just 100% sure. . It may be overkill, but, in secret terms I think the overkill is worth it. ”

Speaking of in-store options, there is nothing that will keep you 100% safe, but your best option is to visit the store when it is less crowded. On the one hand, this could mean waiting a few days to get a new console until the lines die. Finally, Amazon has sent emails to customers that let them know the new console may not arrive on launch day, and most stores are likely to have limited supplies for customers who do not pre-order. Your safe option will have to wait a few days when the launching day hype subsides.