Sony opened Thursday registration for a chance to pre-order the next generation game console, but only selected users are invited to pre-order. Which users? Sony’s criteria are a bit unclear.
Sony can take this approach because it is difficult to anticipate in the current economic climate. It does not want to get stuck with a stack of PlayStations in the warehouse.
“These are not the times left with inventory and the current economic downturn makes it harder to predict what demand will really be,” said Carolina Milanesi, a consumer tech analyst at Creative Strategies. She noted that customers who are selected in this lottery system may feel that they are in a “special club”.
To sign up, you will need to enter your PlayStation Online ID, which you will create when you first register an older console, such as a PlayStation 2, 3 or 4.
After entering your online ID twice, the Sony page will thank you, but it will not be immediately clear if you are eligible for pre-order.
If you get an invitation, you can pre-order a “limited time” according to Sony, and there is a chance that the available consoles will be sold out before you can reserve one.
Sony limits customers to one PlayStation 5 per person, and a limit of 2 controllers. Other accessories including cameras and charging stations can also be pre-ordered.
Those outside the United States can still order a PlayStation 5 if they receive an invitation, but they must send their order to a US address, otherwise it will be canceled.
Some customers may wait to see if the consoles are worth the upgrade. And the impact of the pandemic on the income of many people could influence the decision.
“Many gamers will be happy to continue on their current consoles until they are forced to upgrade to play the latest release of a beloved series,” Laine Nooney, assistant professor and historian of video games, told ‘ the University of New York, told CNN Business last month.
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