My kids don’t know it yet, but they are probably getting a PlayStation 5 within the next year. It’s likely to be a big chunk of change, which is we we have to budget for these things. I’ll probably be digging around for a deal and farming actual game purchases out to the grandparents.
But there is one thing I will not be doing: registering to preorder without even knowing the price. Just holding up my hand and saying, Yes please, I will pay anything, just give me the chance! Flag my account as one of your most desperate, hungry customers! Stoppit.
This is apparently what Sony is up to right now: tossing invites to selected PSN users to get in that virtual line. You have to register your PSN to the list first, and then the company or its algorithm decides who gets to preorder “based on previous interests and PlayStation activities.” (That stipulation is from the FAQ itself, and we assume it’s meant to block bots, not to rank how hardcore a gamer you are.)
And since Sony still hasn’t announced the price, you don’t even really have complete info on what you’re signing up to try to buy. The announcement even expressly plays on your fear of missing out on a first-come-first-served signup (remember that dark patterns Daily Grind we just did?). The upside is it’s not binding, so you can always just… not preorder it even if you’re picked and given the chance. But still.
