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Walmart will no longer accept in-store pre-orders for PlayStation 5

Walmart is reversing its decision to offer in-store pre-orders for the PlayStation 5, which was supposed to kick off on September 22.

Walmart previously confirmed that it would be re-opening pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 on September 22 after the pre-order debacle that caused many players to miss out on securing a console. The process will not be online though, so customers will have to go to one of Walmart’s physical stores.

However, it appears that Walmart will no longer proceed with that plan.

“Walmart has decided not to proceed with the planned store pre-order to control store traffic and keep our customers safe and socially distanced,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement to GameSpot. “Customers can still get the console on November 12 when it’s released. Apologies for any confusion.”

While the decision to cancel in-store pre-orders is for a good reason, customers hoping to secure a PlayStation 5 before its official launch will have one less option.

Digital Trends has reached out to Walmart to confirm its statement to GameSpot, and to inquire whether online pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 will return to its website. We will update this article as soon as we hear back.

Sony says sorry for PlayStation 5 pre-orders

Sony apologized for the chaos caused by the PlayStation 5 pre-order process, after pre-orders for the console started hours after the livestream revealed its price instead of the following day, as Sony said.

Sony said that it will release more PlayStation 5 consoles for pre-order, but so far, no details have been shared.

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