The retro black PlayStation 5 is sadly no more, as SUP3R5, the third-party team behind the limited edition custom consoles, revealed this week that its has canceled all orders with full refunds after it allegedly received threats to team members' safety. The news comes just days after SUP3R5 allowed the expensive pre-orders for the PlayStation 2-inspired black consoles to go live.
In December, SUP3R5 announced that it planned to release $650 customized versions of the PS5, which would supposedly sport all-black outer plates and a small colorful PlayStation logo inspired by the PS2's aesthetics. The consoles were each supposed to with their own matching black DualShock controllers, though these could also be purchased separately for $99 each. Only 304 retro PS5s were made, which SUP3r5 said was a tribute to the original launch date of the PlayStation 2 (March 4, 2000). The retro PS5 began with simple mock-up photos posted on Reddit, though high demand led SUP3R5 to actually produce the consoles.
Unfortunately, the retro black PS5 consoles did not make it out of the warehouse. As Twisted Voxel reports, SUP3R5 shared a now deleted statement on Twitter explaining that the team received "credible threats to their safety" and will not proceed with the consoles. The tweet went on to promise that those who did manage to pre-order one of the systems on January 8 would receive full refunds. Finally, SUP3R5 added that the retro console's intention was to "celebrate a shared nostalgia," but these alleged threats have interfered with that. SUP3R5's Twitter account has since been deleted.
The nature of the threats or why they came about is unclear at this time. However, as TheGamer reported, SUP3R5's pre-order sale got off to a bit of a rocky start. Some customers experienced issues with payments and processing orders. Meanwhile, others were able to get through the process and were charged for the orders but did not receive important confirmation emails. At the time, SUP3R5 said it would fix the issues as soon as possible, but this cancellation and refund notice has come not long after that guarantee.
The seemingly abrupt halt in production has led many skeptical consumers to wonder if this had actually been a scam all along. After all, Sony's PS5 consoles are already experiencing major shortages, so it seemed almost a miracle that SUP3R5 somehow got its hands on 304 of the rare systems to begin with. SUP3R5 also had no prior history of creating and selling other products, another red flag for many. However, one Reddit user who was closely monitoring the situation and its scam potential shares that they received a refund via PayPal for their own purchase, so there's hope that anyone else waiting to get their money back will do so soon.
No matter the circumstances, it was certainly disappointing to the prospect of such an beautiful console come to a screeching halt, and it's even worse if SUP3R5 did receive the threats it alleges, which would be unacceptable even if it was all a sham. Even frauds don't deserve that kind of illegal treatment. For now, fans will just have to look forward to the next best thing: custom PlayStation 5 faceplates from Dbrand, if they ever arrive.
Source: SUP3R5, Twisted Voxel