For the next few months, Sony is holding a contest that will see one fortunate gamer walk away with a PlayStation 5, just for eating breakfast cereal. The next generation of Sony consoles has just launched worldwide to great fanfare. While many fans are celebrating and jumping into those launch titles, there are a large number still trying to secure a console.
Running up to and following the console’s November launch, stories have been circulating of gamers attempting - and mostly failing - to get their hands on Sony’s next-gen gaming machine. Some of the most outrageous of these stories came out during the UK’s launch day, which was about a week later than other regions. Many customers who expected a PS5 that day found themselves the objects of disappointing scams, while prospective buyers in other regions have found themselves the victims of more direct, sometimes violent PS5-related crimes. This disappointment is sure to be made all the worse by the fact that the console has been remarkably difficult to find on shelves after launch.
PlayStation details that US-based entrants over the age of 18 will have the chance to win a new PS5, and winners will be drawn periodically until the sweepstakes ends on February 28, 2021. In order to win the console or a myriad of other prizes, hopefuls will need to obtain a code which can be found on the inside of participating General Mills cereal boxes. (Participating boxes are easy to spot considering they have pictures of a PlayStation 5 prominently placed on them.) However, it isn't even necessary to buy cereal, as codes can also be obtained by writing or emailing in and requesting one. To request a code online or enter one, entrants can register here. For those thinking about stockpiling mountains of boxes, they should be aware that each entrant can only enter 15 codes.
The limit will hopefully curb scalpers, who have been perhaps the largest problem surrounding the PlayStation 5’s launch. The console had not even been out for an entire day before reselling sites began to fill up with egregiously priced machines. These sellers, hoping to take advantage of players’ desperation, snapped up a large quantity of the anticipated units, creating scarcity which they could leverage to mark up the prices. However, the market for these outrages prices might collapse soon if the console’s price dips as some data predicts it will.
Though sweepstakes like these are not really a reliable way to score a hard-to-get item, it's almost certain that one person will end up with Sony's next-gen console for free. If cereal is already on the shopping list, be sure to check for a box with a PS5 on it.
Source: PlayStation