At least one group of hardcore PlayStation fans brought mattresses to a local game store in advance of Black Friday, maximizing the odds of snagging a new PlayStation 5. This reflects just how excited many gamers are about the next-gen console, and how difficult it may be to obtain one on Black Friday.
It's not hard to see why the PlayStation 5 has generated so much hype. For one, the new console offers a huge range of exciting advances over the PlayStation 4, ranging from a re-hauled controller to dramatically reduced loading times. For another, the PS5 pre-order process launched with little prior warning. This left many would-be owners to discover that all pre-orders had already been claimed by the time they logged in. Even for those who were on time, many retail websites stopped working properly due to the demand. This left even some punctual PlayStation fans without a pre-order.
A Virginia newscaster noticed a group of mattresses placed outside a local GameStop in the early hours of Black Friday. As it turned out, the mattresses belonged to gamers who were saving their place in line for a new next-gen console. They arrived a full day in advance of the console launch, camping out early on Thanksgiving day. Unlike many other retailers, GameStop's Black Friday restock of next-gen consoles is in-store only, meaning that anyone at the very front of the line is guaranteed to get one.
It's not hard to see why retailers like Best Buy have only restocked online, rather than offering next-gen consoles in-person. After all, with the COVID-19 pandemic remaining a major concern throughout the United States, huge gatherings are a major risk. It's unclear whether the mattress owners have been able to observe social distancing protocols, and this scene is surely repeating at other video game stores across the country.
Unfortunately, there simply are not many alternatives to big-box retailers when it comes to claiming a next-gen console. The few alternatives that have appeared, such as the game rental service GameFly, tend to prioritize pre-existing members and sell out very quickly. Unless someone can dedicate a great deal of time every day to searching for a next-gen console, these opportunities will likely fly under the radar.
Of course, there is always the option of waiting until Sony increases its supply of new consoles. PlayStation 4 owners will still be able to access many new flagship titles during the upcoming year, as games like Horizon Forbidden West will launch on both PS4 and PS5. This means that the gift some gamers can give themselves this Black Friday is a relaxed day not fighting for a new console.