Sony's retail partners in India opened pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 earlier today; according to reports, the system sold out in minutes, indicating that demand for the new hardware has yet to slow down. Unlike Microsoft with the launch of its Xbox Series X|S, Sony did not release PS5 on a global scale last November. As such, many Asian regions have yet to receive the platform. While the console is set to hit stores in India on February 2, it appears the territory will also have to contend with supply constraints.
Even before PlayStation 5's launch in North America and other territories, supply issues were proving a pain point for fans looking to secure the console on day one. Though Sony subsequently promised that more PS5 stock would ship by the end of 2020, the limited availability wasn't nearly enough to meet an unprecedented level of demand. Evidently, supply constraints are a global issue for Sony, even as customers in some regions are just now able to place pre-orders.
PlayStation 5 pre-orders went live in India earlier today, but reports suggest that retailers sold out of their stock in mere moments. According to IGN India (via Push Square), Amazon India moved all of its units within a matter of seconds. The online storefront reportedly added new stock later; however, it didn't last for long, either. With regards to shops such as Croma, Games The Shop, and Reliance Digital, IGN India notes that every PS5 order for each was accounted for in a matter of 10 minutes or less. IGN India sources familiar with Sony's operations claim that only 4,000 to 5,000 systems were made available to local retailers. If true, the hardware manufacturer severely underestimated the enthusiasm for its next-gen offering. Sony has since shared the following statement with the publication:
“PS5 has met with unprecedented enthusiasm by PlayStation fans in India, resulting in a stockout during the pre-order period. Keeping the current situation in mind, we kindly urge all customers to keep their health and safety first and refrain from visiting any retail store to pre-order a PS5. Please stay in touch with retailers for the next pre-order phase.”
It's difficult to imagine that Sony didn't foresee such high demand, given its own recent experiences and statements. After all, there's no way the company went into India's first pre-order phase having somehow forgotten about the PS5's record-breaking launch. However, the limited number of consoles allocated for the territory's retailers suggests Sony only has so much wiggle room in terms of what it can reasonably ship to stores at present.
For reference, Xbox Series X pre-orders on Amazon India sold out it in a mere 15 minutes back in September. It's worth noting that PlayStation 4 outsold Xbox One by a wide margin in India; with regards to lifetime sales, IGN India reports the former sold approximately 450,000 units in the region compared to the latter's 50,000. Needless to say, Sony would've been hard pressed to meet PlayStation 5 demand even under normal circumstances. For the rest of the world, word on when PS5 restocks will become available remains under wraps.
Source: IGN India, Push Square
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