- PS5 India launch is reportedly set for January 2021
- Pre-orders for the console are expected to go live sometime in mid-December
- PS5 Digital Edition stocks are expected to be very limited across both online and offline channels
Despite the console being released globally over a month ago, the PlayStation 5 (PS5) India launch schedule remains uncertain as Sony continues to be tightlipped. On several occasions, the company has gone back and forth regarding the PS5 India release date. Rumours previously claimed the company planned on launching the console sometime in January. Initially proven wrong, it appears that that the information does hold some water after all. Rishi Alwani of The Mako Reactor, the point man in India for everything PS5, got in touch with some Sony India retail partners, who said the PS5 India launch could be sometime in January 2021. Pre-orders for the console reportedly will begin mid-December, or right about now. Store managers at these retail outlets told Alwani that Sony will be making an official announcement soon.
Also read: PS5 India release in January 2021? Here’s what Sony had to say about the launch date
PS5 stocks in India will be limited
Before getting excited about PS5 launching in India finally, retail stories cited in the report claimed there will be a limited quantity of consoles available at the time of launch. Like the Xbox Series X, we can expect PS5 units consoles to fly off the shelves minutes after they are up for pre-order.
There’s even more bad news for people who hope to snag a copy of the console via retail channels. Much like the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, a lion’s share of the PS5 India stock will go to major online retailers like Flipkart and Amazon, leaving only a handful of units for offline sales. To make matters (even) worse, only a handful of Sony-approved outlets will stock the PlayStation 5, meaning that it may be a while before you’ll be able to snag one off your local electronics store. Retail stores in metro cities will be prioritised over outlets other areas, similar to happened at the time of launch of PS4 and PS3 launches.
Lastly, those looking to get the cheaper PS5 Digital Edition (Rs 39,990) will be in for more of a disappointment, due to even lower availability. The demand for the digital edition has been quite lacklustre worldwide, so it is understandable as to Sony why doesn’t want to manufacture a lot of those at a time when the PS5 demand is sky-high.
