Pre-orders for the PlayStation 5 console have far exceeded Sony's expectations, with more orders made in the first 12 hours alone than during the PlayStation 4's first 12 weeks on the market. This bodes well for Sony as it competes with Microsoft, which is releasing the Xbox Series X two days before the PS5's launch date.

Ever since it was announced that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X would be coming out mere days from one another, Sony and Microsoft have made a series of strategic moves in the hopes of bolstering sales. There has been a steady reveal of what features each system will have as well as moves to acquire well-known gaming studios and all of their titles, such as when Microsoft purchased Bethesda earlier this year. Now that the consoles are less than one month away from being in players' homes, pre-orders have gone live around the world and the figures, in some cases, are staggering.

Reuters reports that Sony has pre-sold as many PlayStation 5 consoles in the first 12 hours in the United States as it had over the first 12 weeks with the PlayStation 4. The demand for the latest gaming console has been called "very considerable" by Sony's CEO and he also warned that it is likely not all pre-orders will be fulfilled on launch day. The PS4 has sold over 100 million units over its lifetime, and Sony looks to top that number with its latest console.


The PlayStation 5 is not the only upcoming console to see a surge in sales. The Xbox Series X has been selling well in world markets where the Xbox brand has historically done poorly. There has been a lot of speculation that the COVID-19 pandemic is increasing sales as gamers spend more time at home due to quarantines. The gaming industry appears to be going through a small boom in the midst of the global crisis and there is speculation on how long it will last as the world slowly moves on to post-pandemic life.

The question is not if the drop off in sales will happen, but when and steep will it be. As of now, video games are a main source of not just entertainment and escapism, but social interaction as well. With seemingly no end to the COVID-19 situation in sight, the promise of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X offers people the entertainment, escapism, and social interactions they need in such times with the added perk of novelty. Unfortunately, it looks as if the pandemic won't truly be under control for some time still, and only then will it be clear just how much stay-at-home orders have been inflating demand for next-gen consoles.

The PlayStation 5 launches on November 12.