Sony is gearing up for another PS5 restock this month. The company has confirmed in a press release that the next batch of pre-orders for the current-gen PlayStation console in India is slated to go live on Wednesday, February 22, at 12pm. Pre-bookings will be open for both bundles and standalone units — specifically the 4K Bluray disc drive-equipped versions. This marks the second PS5 restock this month, following the pre-order event on February 7 — the second time such an anomaly has occurred since the initial PS5 launch in India. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in global chip shortages around the world, reducing the chances of acquiring a PS5, though now, it seems like things are headed in a positive direction.
At CES 2023, earlier this year, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan announced that gamers should have a much “easier time” finding a PS5 from local retailers. While its implications on the Indian market were unclear at the time, plenty of brick-and-mortar stores and even the Mumbai Comic-Con event had enough stock for purchase — both console and accessories, separately. As per games analyst Rishi Alwani, there’s even a dedicated PS5 booth at the three-day-long India Gaming Show, which also sees Riot Games — makers of League of Legends and Valorant — attending this year. The event runs until February 18, at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Circling back to the February 22 restock, pre-order banners / advertisements are still not up on any online storefronts, but the press release mentioned that the new stock of PS5s will go live for pre-order on Amazon, Croma, Flipkart, GamesTheShop, Reliance Digital, ShopatSC, and Vijay Sales.
PS5 prices shot up in November, with the bulkier disc variant now costing Rs. 54,990, while the Digital Edition coming in at Rs. 44,990. This marks a 12.5 and 10 percent increase, respectively. In a blog post in August last year, Sony had attributed the price hike in select markets, including Asia-Pacific, to global economic environment and high inflation rates.
At the time of writing, the Sony Center PS5 store page simply lets you enter contact details to be notified of when the stocks are available. The delivery details haven’t been updated from last restock either, which said that orders should start shipping out by February 21. It also features a delay warning depending on lockdown/ curfew restrictions in select regions. Purchase choices were limited recently, but earlier this month, Sony India broke the mould by offering two alternatives to pick from — a God of War Ragnarök bundle, priced at Rs. 59,390 and a standalone disc-drive-equipped unit for Rs. 54,990.