Despite COVID-19, Japanese Gamers Rush To Buy PS5

Since Sony released its new PlayStation 5 series in November, gamers around the world have struggled to get one of these next-generation consoles because they have constantly been out of stock.

And that is why when many gamers in Japan heard about a retailer in Akihabara, Tokyo’s most famous electronics mall could sell the consoles in a surprise sale, the news quickly spread around the Internet. The place turned chaotic on the day of the sale.

On the morning of January 30, a huge crowd of hopeful gamers lined up outside the giant electronics retailer Yodobashi Camera even before the store opened.

As soon as the store staff showed up with a sign often used in events, everyone quickly rushed inside.

Photos show people squeezing each other, forming a crowd moving forward.

Twitter user @Dave Gibson was swept up in the crowd. It turned out the store didn’t give its staff clear instructions on the possible PS5 sale. So as soon as about 15 employees arrived and a large area was cleared, customers gathered, expecting the sale of the console to take place.

However, an employee showed up, holding a stack of about 300 numbered tickets. And that was when the crowd rushed forward, ruining the nearby TV shelves. The cash register and main sales counter were pushed back into the warehouse area. Customers who were paying for other products were shoved out of the aisle. The staff of the store had to climb onto the table.

Gibson said that he tried to avoid being close to other people and ultimately decided to go home. About 15 seconds after the chaos, the staff started shouting, telling people to go home. And the sale was canceled.

About 10 minutes later, the police arrived to help clear out anyone still wandering around the store.

Other branches of the Yodobashi store, like at Umeda in Osaka, have decided that only Visa Gold Point Plus cardholders could purchase the PS5. This card is only given to customers who have purchased products worth nearly $2,000.

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