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PS5 preorders might be imminent, Sony’s latest move suggests

Published Jul 20th, 2020 7:31AM EDT
PS5 Price
Image: Sony

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  • The PS5 price may soon be revealed, as Sony seems to be getting ready to take PlayStation 5 preorders.
  • A Reddit user found an error message in code on Sony’s PlayStation Direct site that indicates buyers will be limited to one PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition purchase per household.
  • The code also reveals new imagery that will be used on game pages to indicate which titles will be compatible with the PlayStation 5.

July is almost over, which only means we’re getting one step closer to this year’s holiday season when the next-gen gaming consoles from Sony and Microsoft are supposed to come out. Both companies will soon divulge the last remaining secrets about the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, providing answers to our most pressing questions. When will the new console launch, and how much will they cost?

An increasing number of reports detailed the purported pricing war between the two companies. Microsoft is reportedly looking to undercut the PS5, and that’s why the Series X pricing structure might be revealed only after Sony announces the cost of its two new PlayStation versions. Rumors a few weeks ago said Sony would start taking PS5 preorders in mid-July, something that hasn’t happened. Moreover, Sony went on record to say that PS5 preorders will not just be launched quietly, as those rumors claimed, suggesting it’ll make a big deal about it, as things should be. Sony did not say when it’ll reveal the availability details for the PS5, but someone just found evidence that the preorder season is imminent.

Digging through code over at PlayStation Direct, Reddit user kgarvey discovered the following error message on the site:

You can only purchase one version of the PS5™ Console: Disc or Digital. You have already added one PS5™ console to your cart.

The error message indicates that users will be limited to a single PS5 purchase per household and that you’ll have to choose between disc or digital when you preorder.

You can inspect the code yourself by going at this link, and looking at the page source — look for this code:

“SAPCommerceOCC_ERROR_addtocartrestrictionvalidation”:{“errorType”:”commerce-api-error”,”errorMessage”:“You can only purchase one version of the PS5™ Console: Disc or Digital. You have already added one PS5™ console to your cart.”,”errorSeverity”:”High”}

As the Redditor points out, the move is similar to what Sony did with the PS4 launch back in 2013 when it comes to the number of units you can purchase. If you want to see both the regular PS5 and the Digital Edition before deciding which one to keep, you can order one directly from Sony, and one from a different retailer.

What’s more interesting is the fact that Sony is preparing for PS5 preorders. “That an error message for adding PS5s to your cart is already in the public PlayStation Direct source code suggests to me that preorders are imminent. I would speculate they are coming within the next 2 weeks,” the Reddit user writes. That’s just a guess, of course. Still, this is another sign that Sony is in the final stages of revealing PS5 availability details. Once preorders launch, Sony will reveal how much the consoles will cost and their launch date.

The same page also includes imagery that will be attached to PS4 games that will be compatible with the PS5. The Redditor created the mock-up page below for Days Gone to show how the “PS5 Compatible” marker could appear on Sony’s website:

PS5 Compatible Button
Mock-up shows the new “PS5 Compatible” indicator that will appear next to PS4 games that can run on the PlayStation 5. Image source: Reddit

The implication here is that not all games will be compatible with the PS5, but Sony will reveal more precise details about PS5 backward compatibility soon.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.