The release date has come and gone for the new generation of Sony consoles, the PlayStation 5. However, despite the PS5 console being freshly released, there are still a large number of gamers waiting for the opportunity to purchase the new system. Currently the PS5 is sold out for all major retailers, with no way to pre-purchase a spot in line, making the wait feel impossibly long. Because of this growing waitlist, some fans might be feeling frustrated at why Sony isn't offering more options for those who would like to ensure a chance to buy a PS5 when it is next in stock.
For many, being able to buy a place in line via a backorder would be preferable to the stress that is coming from trying to obtain a new console the minute they come back into stock in stores. Currently, to purchase one, players must know the exact day and time PS5 consoles will be back in stock for each specific store, and then they must purchase them online before they completely sell out again. Due to the lack of clear dates for restock and the number of people trying to buy a PS5, this requires perfect timing. If back-orders were available, then there wouldn't be any of the frustration that comes with rushing to buy, and gamers could possibly have an idea of when they might receive their console.
One of the reasons that PS5 pre-orders aren't currently available may come down to unknown release dates. There is little current info on restocks, other than that there is hope they might be available around Black Friday, though how many stores will have them and how many consoles will be available is unknown at this time. The reasons for why there is such a shortage of the consoles is unclear, but it is possible Sony doesn't want to create a waitlist for consoles it can't guarantee will be available in the near future. This prevents a situation where consoles that don't exist have been sold, and buyers getting frustrated by long wait times for money they have already spent.
PlayStation 5 Consoles Aren't Available For Back-Order
Another factor that Sony might be trying to mitigate comes down to bot buying. According to CBS, release day for the PS5 console saw numbers of purchases made by bot accounts that were then put up on sites like Ebay at a massively inflated price. By putting the back-orders up for those waiting to buy, retailers could become overwhelmed with back-order purchases made by bots and scalpers meant to drain out consoles as they are released so they can then be resold at a much higher price. This would create a large number of overly-priced third-party console sales, taking advantage of those who genuinely want to buy the console to use in their home and not to make a profit.
PS5 orders could also become confusing if players were to apply to multiple wait lists at once. Since no one is entirely sure when or where the PlayStation 5 will go on sale next, many players have email alerts set up to notify them about sales at various online storefronts. If people could go ahead and pay for their PS5 console, it's likely that some would try to do this at multiple retailers as well - and then, once their first console arrived, they could cancel the rest of their orders. This would cause confusion with both the distributors and the storefronts, and would likely only lead to more PS5 ordering problems than already exist.
Currently, if players want to get ahold of a PS5, it appears that patience and vigilance will be the key. While it might be frustrating to hover over the shopping cart's 'buy' button, preventing over-purchasing via bots and managing the supply of available consoles may help keep players from spending a large sum only to have to wait for extended period for their console to arrive. With luck, some may be able to purchase their PlayStation 5 this holiday season, or shortly after, and the long wait to experience the new generation of gaming will be over.