The pricing and release date of the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition was finally announced last week. Unfortunately, the livestream failed to properly inform people about the preorder date, which was revealed later via a post on social media. With all the hype generated by the online-only event, retailers such as Walmart and GameStop apparently wanted to take advantage of the demand and started accepting preorders ahead of schedule. Now, Sony hopes to appease frustrated consumers with an apology and the addition of more slots soon.

The official PlayStation account on Twitter issued a statement that read: "Let's be honest: PS5 preorders could have been a lot smoother. We truly apologize for that. Over the next few days, we will release more PS5 consoles for preorder – retailers will share more details. And more PS5s will be available through the end of the year." Yet, analysts consider the communication vague given that information from supply chain sources claim there are shortages due to production issues.

Amazon has reportedly sent out emails to customers who have pre-purchased their PS5 console with the online retail giant. The Verge points out that the digital correspondence hints at possible delays on launch day: "We're contacting you about your order of PlayStation 5 to let you know in advance that you may not receive this item on the day it is released due to high demand, read the message. "We'll make every effort to get the item to you as soon as possible once released."

Many speculate Sony has not been transparent as to the number of PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition units it has allocated for each outlet. Therefore, there is no guarantee on the part of the retailer that there will be enough inventory on hand that could be shipped out with enough lead time to arrive on the exact date specified by the manufacturer.

Sony PS5 getting a major UI overhaul
On the other hand, Microsoft hopes to present an optimised version of the existing Xbox One dashboard when the Xbox Series X launches later this year. Photo: Sony

The PS5 is slated to initially launch on Nov. 12, in select regions only. These include the United States, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, and Canada. On the other hand, the rest of the world can expect to get the PS5 on Nov. 19, instead. Meanwhile, Microsoft has pegged the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S to hit retailers on Nov. 10.

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