Sony’s PS5 Showcase is expected have the company reveal more games for the upcoming console as well as details regarding a release date and price. And while Sony has kept a tight lid on what to expect in terms of launch strategy and availability, here’s what you should expect if you’re looking to buy the PS5 at launch.
PS5 price and release date at Sony’s event
While the PS5 Showcase should reveal a price and release date, Sony is uniquely poised to potentially undercut Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and S prices of $499 (India price is Rs. 50,000) and $299 (India price is Rs. 35,000) respectively. The question though, is by how much. However what’s likely is a lower price for the PS5 with a disc drive versus the Xbox Series X with the PS5 Digital Edition having a higher price versus Xbox Series S coupled with Sony driving home the parity between devices in terms of specifications and performance outside of a disc drive. Considering the Xbox Series X and S have a November 10 launch, safe to say Sony will follow suit with a November release date, though it would be unlikely to precede Microsoft.
PS5 pre-order details will roll out ahead of time
In conversation with Geoff Keighley, the Senior Vice President, PlayStation Worldwide Marketing Eric Lempel stated that PS5 pre-orders won’t just open all of a sudden.
“We have nothing to do with it [the rumoured PS5 July 13 pre-order date],” said Lempel. “I got a message from someone saying people are lining up at stores and we had no idea why. So I think it’s safe to say for your viewers, we’ll let you know when pre-order will happen. It’s not going to happen with a minute’s notice, we’re going to at some point let you know when you can pre-order a PlayStation 5. So please don’t feel like you have go run out and line up anywhere until you receive official notice on how that’ll work. So I don’t know what happened or who did it. Wasn’t us though.”
Considering that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic makes going outside more hazardous than it should be, Sony appears to be cautious about announcing a pre-order date and time without the necessary safeguards in place.
PS5 quantities on release date are limited
According to Sony’s own US website, PS5 consoles will be in “limited quantity” for pre-order and existing consumers will get a chance to pre-order one directly from Sony. It also says that pre-order reservations will be taken on a first-come-first-serve basis.
As per the PS5 FAQs page those selected will be emailed before pre-orders start. Users can only pre-order one PS5 per PSN ID, getting an invite to pre-order does not guarantee you’ll be able to pre-order one further stressing on its limited supply.
PS5 payment options
Sony is preparing to ensure that PS5 pre-orders start at the same time the world over. In addition to this, it is considering options such as partial upfront payment in markets where possible with the rest of the amount paid at launch. Multiple retailers in Europe and Asia speaking to The Mako Reactor under the condition of anonymity state that PS5 pre-order planning is in progress and Sony is enforcing strict rules to ensure game stores cooperate. These include no early PS5 pre-orders that we reported about earlier.
Furthermore, Sony is insisting on unified presentation of PS5 store listings as well our sources tell us. For example: if a customer in Paris is looking to pre-order a PS5, they should see the same product pages with features and listings as a customer in Malaysia or Singapore. While this is par for the course for some companies, it’s interesting to see Sony take the same approach globally though it is to be expected considering it restructured last year with this in mind.
PS5 India release date delayed by BIS?
While Sony is yet to reveal if India gets the PS5 the same time as the rest of the world, its track record here has been abysmal. With the PS4, BIS rules ensured that initial supply was inconsistent at best and the PS4 Pro had stock shortages for nearly a year since its India release date. Even right now, retailers are unable to get access to DualShock 4 controllers, let alone PS4 consoles to meet demand. We won’t be surprised to see the company push PS4 hardware in India while the PS5 goes on sale internationally, a similar strategy employed during the PS4’s launch which saw Sony market the PS3 heavily in India.
PS5 games in India
Interestingly, while retailers internationally have listed PS5 games for pre-order, Indian retailers have not done the same just yet. With a couple of months to launch, the lack of visibility on what games you could expect to play is perplexing to say the least. This is true for both third-party titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and PS5 exclusives like Spider-Man: Miles Morales. In fact, Sony’s track record with the PS4 and its first-party line-up in India is cause for concern.
On the other hand, Microsoft has had a better track record bringing in its Xbox One games to the country. Outside of Dead Rising 4, Bleeding Edge, and Sea of Thieves, every first-party Microsoft exclusive has seen an India release. On the surface, this would imply that the Xbox Series X should see the same level of support despite the Xbox brand’s many troubles in the country.
PS5 India launch availability: will all stores have it?
Given that only six stores have the PS5 listed, it’s safe to say that Sony has a preferred partners list and they’re on it. No independent retailers appear to have any PS5 listings at the moment. It will be interesting to see if more stores stock the PS5 at launch in India. While we have asked Sony if it would be exclusive to these outlets, there’s been no reply to our request for comment just yet. With supplies expected to be limited, we don’t expect most Indian game stores to stock the PS5 officially at launch in the country. Microsoft appears to cast a wider net this time around in comparison.
The PS5 Showcase will take place on September 17 at 1:30am IST (September 16 at 1pm PDT).
