PlayStation 5 pre-order bedlam pushes console prices past US$2,000 on eBay as Sony upsets fans to beat Microsoft to the punch

A free-for-all has broken out in regard to PlayStation 5 pre-orders, judging by the many comments that have been flooding social media and forums. While many expected Sony to offer sufficient warning time for pre-orders, based on comments made in an interview between Geoff Keighley and PlayStation executive Eric Lempel, it appears that the PS5 maker has allowed “select retailers” to throw out their own plans.

Lempel stated that “we’ll let you know when pre-orders will happen. It’s not gonna happen with a minute’s notice. We’re going to at some point let you know when you can pre-order a PlayStation 5.” However, it seems that it has been very short notice indeed as retailers such as Walmart have even bragged about not wanting their customers to wait. This state of affairs has left many fans feeling sore about Sony’s apparently disordered pre-order plan.

Many major retailers are already reporting being sold out of their PS5 stock allocation, and unsurprisingly successfully made pre-order bookings have already started appearing on eBay, with some listings heading north of US$2,000 at the time of writing. This situation has also left those who were successful with Sony’s PS5 pre-order “lottery” with something of a conundrum. Do they try to pre-order now or wait patiently until Friday September 18 at 10am PT to attempt to reserve the PS5 directly with Sony?

Although some fans have voiced their disgruntlement with the chaotic PS5 pre-orders, it's possible Sony may have felt pressured into action because of the protracted waiting game that has been played out these last months with Microsoft, and the Japanese company would have been looking at snatching up those undecided consumers by beating the Xbox maker to the pre-order punch.