Sony has today released its highly-anticipated gaming console — Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5). The device, successor of the seven-year-old PS4, is now available for purchase in major regions. The launch comes just a couple of days after Microsoft started selling its latest gaming console — Xbox Series X.
The Japanese company has released both the new devices — PlayStation 5 Standard Edition and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. While the standard edition costs $499, the digital edition is a bit cheapest, costing $399.
Pre-orders for the Sony PS5 units started in September and were quickly sold out. The company has said that this latest-generation gaming console won’t be available in-store on the launch day and will be available through online sales only.
As for the availability in the United States, the listing of PS5 on Target says that it’s “only available with Drive Up or Order Pickup services.” On the other hand, Walmart has announced that consoles will be “online at 12PM, 3PM, 6PM, 9PM ET.” It will also be available for purchase through NewEgg, Amazon, and GameStop.
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Sony seems to be expecting a big sales boost given the holiday season release of the PlayStation 5 and the amplified demand for stay-at-home entertainment amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the company had said that it expected to sell more than 7.6 million units of the PS5 by the end of March 2021.
On the other hand, UK-based data analytics company Ampere Analysis predicts that Sony could sell around 17.9 million units of the PS5 consoles by the end of 2021 and more than 67 million units by 2024.
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