- Anyone who wants to discontinue Sony’s new console on the PS5 release date – good luck to you, pre-orders have been selling out for quite some time now.
- While it appears that most North American retailers will not have units in store on launch day, Target’s official Twitter account offers some hope.
- According to Target, if you bought the PS5 from a retailer and chose the pick-up or drive-in option, you should be able to get your console from Target on or after launch day, since the retailer will apparently have units to sell. In those specific cases (therefore, there are no quick purchases).
Anyone wanting to have Sony’s next-generation gaming console in store on the PS5 release date November 12th – well, we’ve already noted here that finding a PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition in store will be a challenge. This is because reports have indicated that many retailers will not be stocking these Sony consoles, or for that matter, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, on store shelves for the initial release.
However, one of Target’s official Twitter accounts on Tuesday made an important point in response to a user’s question about the PS5’s availability in store. You can check out the response below, but basically, it looks like you’ll be able to get a PS5 from Target on launch day – provided you order it online first. So, there are no visits.
This Target Twitter account originally confirmed, in response to a different Twitter user, that the PS5 will be “available on 12/11/2020 in Store.”
The retailer made it clear on Tuesday that you simply won’t be able to go in and buy a unit. You will have to purchase it online and select either pickup in store or drive delivery:
We know there’s a lot of excitement around these new game consoles. Check back at https://t.co/Gla4QrFOmf regularly for availability. On launch day, the console will only be available in stores with pick-up or drop-off orders.
– AskTarget (AskTarget) November 3, 2020
Once Target works through that initial batch of early orders, you can likely expect the retailer to start selling any PS5 units directly in store without pre-ordering requirements – something that could happen as soon as December or January.
Compare this with a retailer like Best Buy, which appears to not have any PS5 (or Xbox Series X / S) consoles “assigned to stores for the launch date and until further notice.” This is according to a tweet from Marlon Gaming Nation a few days ago, which shared a Best Buy employee news alert that you can check below:
Best Buy Employee PS5 and Xbox Series X / S Online Only. Be ready, guys !!! pic.twitter.com/75dsQBLG0M
– Marlon Gaming Nation (@ GamesAndWario) October 27, 2020
Pre-orders on the PS5 sold out in a matter of hours, so it now appears the only way to take advantage of the target availability is to open the retailer’s website on the November 12 release date, update it a bit, and see if you’re lucky and you can buy it online to pick it up from the store. It is definitely understood that everyone who lost their pre-order opportunity is now wondering when and how another opportunity will come into play.
Andy is a Memphis reporter and also contributes to media outlets such as Fast Company and The Guardian. When he’s not writing about technology, he can be found preemptively hunched over his burgeoning vinyl collection, as well as satisfying his identity and plunging into a variety of TV shows you probably don’t like.
