Sony announced that PlayStation 5 will no longer be available for in-store purchase on launch day. The next-generation console will only be available to purchase online.
“In the interest of keeping our gamers, retailers, and staff safe amidst COVID-19, today we are confirming that all day-of launch sales will be conducted through the online stores of our retail partners,” says a blog post from Sony.
The company says that no retailers will be selling PlayStation 5’s in-store when the console launches on November 12 in the U.S. or November 19 in other regions. Sony urged fans not to camp out or form early lines at stores, which is common during new console launches.
Sony notes that fans “should” still be able to pick up any pre-ordered consoles from local retailers at a designated appointment time, though they urge fans to check with their retailer directly to confirm. A recent Target ad echoed the move to online-only sales, confirming that the console is still available for order pick-ups in-store and via drive up.
The announcement comes as COVID-19 continues to surge in the U.S., with daily cases now topping 100,000. On several occasions throughout the year, Sony reaffirmed that the pandemic will not affect the PlayStation 5’s launch date plans. At the moment, Microsoft has not announced plans to take the same online-only route with the Xbox Series X and Series S.
Fans looking to purchase a PlayStation 5 digitally will luckily have more opportunities to do so before the year ends. Best Buy recently confirmed that the console will be available to purchase online during its upcoming Black Friday sale.
