PS5 pre-orders went fast. Indeed, retailers accepted pre-orders before even sending out notifications, and buyers snapped them up. Since then, we have learned that Amazon PS5 pre-orders may arrive late. We also have learned that some Sony Direct PS5 pre-orders will ship out in December. And now, we have learned that in some cases, PS5 pre-orders could ship in 2021.
PS5 Pre-Orders Could Ship in 2021 Due to Low Stock
VGC reported that GameStop Ireland emailed some people who pre-ordered the PS5 and told them that they “won’t be able to fulfil your pre-order until 2021,” and that this is “due to circumstances out of our control.”
While this is the most dramatic example yet of late pre-order shipments, it seems likely that 2021 shipments will happen with other retailers as well. In fact, it would appear that many (maybe all) of these retailers set up pre-orders with zero knowledge of the actual allocation of available units they could expect. As such, they took more pre-orders than they were going to be able to fulfill in a reasonable fashion.
While this is annoying, Sony did warn us weeks ago that they expected there to be supply issues with the PS5 at launch. Frankly, anyone who managed to get in a pre-order is still lucky, even if they have to wait. Those who place a regular order will probably have to wait even longer to get their PS5s, after all.
The PlayStation 5 is available in two versions: a full version that accepts optical discs, and a digital-only version. The full version costs $499.99. The digital version costs $399.99. The official release date is November 12th. Keep checking your inbox for notifications for pre-orders opening up again, or visit the pre-order pages on various retailers. Whether you pre-order or not, try to be patient as you wait for your chance to get a PS5. Meanwhile, follow our PlayStation news.