Sony opens up PlayStation 5 pre-orders to select players

Sony’s PlayStation 5 may not have an official launch date or price, but at least some would-be owners are getting an express pass to pre-order the tech giant’s next-generation console.

Sony is sending PlayStation 5 pre-order invitations on Thursday to players based on their “previous interests and PlayStation activities.” Those who are selected for the program will receive an email invitation to pre-order the console. Those who don’t receive an email will not be able to participate in the program, and there’s no sign-up page where people can apply for the invite.

In an FAQ page Sony published to its PlayStation page on Thursday, the company said the pre-order opportunity will provide players with the option to buy one PlayStation 5 or one PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. They can also pre-order up to two DualSense controllers, two DualSense charging stations, and two Pulse 3D wireless headsets. Two media remotes and two HD cameras can also be pre-ordered through the offer.

Sony said that players won’t be required to pre-order all of that equipment. And they’ll need to make their selections within a set amount of time, as dictated in the email. Quantities are limited for the offer, so Sony said players who receive invites will want to move quickly. The hardware must be shipped to a U.S. address: The offer isn’t available to anyone living internationally.

While Sony’s program appears to be an attempt to ensure loyal PlayStation gamers have access to its new console, plenty of questions abound. The invites won’t share PlayStation 5 pricing or availability information, and it’s unclear how much of a head start (if any) those who receive the invites may have. Ultimately, it appears Sony is simply reserving a number of consoles and hardware for the group to maximize their chances of getting a console on day one.

Sony has yet to share its PlayStation 5 launch date and has so far stuck to a holiday 2020 time frame. Whenever the PlayStation 5 launches, look for it to be a bit more expensive than the discless Digital Edition. An exact price point is still unknown.

For its part, Microsoft has said that its Xbox Series X will be available this November.

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