Skip to main content

Sony apologizes for PlayStation 5 pre-order mess, promises more consoles

 

Sony apologized for the sudden launch of PlayStation 5 pre-orders, which caused many gamers to miss out on securing a console.

Recommended Videos

After a livestream revealed that the PlayStation 5 will cost $499, and $399 for the digital edition, Sony said that pre-orders for the console would start the following day. However, chaos ensued when pre-orders opened on Walmart’s website hours later, followed by several other retailers, without warning.

Adding to the confusion was Sony’s own pre-order notification system, which started in August. However, players who signed up did not receive an email until hours after PlayStation 5 listings went up and were sold out.

Sony acknowledged the issues with PlayStation 5 pre-orders and promised to give players more opportunities to secure a console ahead of and after its November 12 release.

Let’s be honest: PS5 preorders could have been a lot smoother. We truly apologize for that. 

Over the next few days, we will release more PS5 consoles for preorder – retailers will share more details.  

And more PS5s will be available through the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/h1TaGsGBun

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) September 19, 2020

One of the major criticisms against the PlayStation 5 pre-orders was that during The Game Awards in July, Eric Lempel, Sony’s worldwide head of marketing, said that players will be provided ample notice before pre-orders for the console started. Unfortunately, the opposite happened, causing an uproar among potential PlayStation 5 buyers.

Digital Trends has reached out to Sony for further insight on what went wrong with the PlayStation 5 pre-order process. We will update this article as soon as we hear back.

Final Fantasy XVI, God of War: Ragnarok on PS5

The livestream where Sony finally announced the PlayStation 5’s price started with a showcase of games coming to the next-generation console, including the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XVI and God of War: Ragnarok.

The showcase also unveiled the PlayStation Plus Collection, which will give PlayStation Plus subscribers on the PlayStation 5 access to a variety of PlayStation 4 classics for free.

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…
3 new PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (May 30-June 1)
Key art for Destiny 2: The Final Shape. It shows three characters standing in front of an orange sky.

Under normal circumstances, we would have to wait until next week to get our drop of new PlayStation Plus games, but this is a special occasion. We're currently right at the start of the Days of Play event where Sony celebrates with tons of community events and huge discounts on PS5 games and accessories. The icing on the cake is that we're not only getting four new games for Essential members, but an additional four for Extra and two more for Premium, with several already available. That's a lot to keep up with if you weren't prepared for it, which is where I come in. We will have to wait for most of the games until Tuesday, but here are a few new games you can start playing over this weekend to start the celebrations early.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape

Read more
5 years in, the PS5 proves that the PS6 can’t just be a more powerful box
The Razer Kaira Pro sitting next to a PS5 console.

The leap from one console to the next used to be so pronounced that it was impossible to ignore. It only took a glance to see the world (or dimension) of difference between SNES games and Nintendo 64 games, and understand exactly what the new system was offering. I'm cherry-picking that specific generation as the greatest gap in power we will likely ever experience, but I believe that the leaps in power throughout the entire video game console generation timeline spoke for themselves right up until the Xbox 360 and PS3 era. It isn't that technical advancements have leveled off after that, but the edges are blending together more with each generation.

As we approach our fifth year with the PS5, and rumors continue to swirl about the PS6, I don't believe Sony can rely on a marginally more powerful box being enough to justify whatever price it demands next time around.

Read more
GTA3 is coming to PlayStation Plus in big June update
Grand Theft Auto 3

June is just around the corner, and that means new PlayStation Plus freebies and even more games added to the catalog and classics collection — including Grand Theft Auto 3. The news comes on the heels of the PlayStation 5 Pro's first-ever discount, as well as more price cuts for the Days of Play 2025 sale.

The upcoming free titles include:

Read more