PS5 snub shows just how little Sony cares about India

Sony kicked off pre-orders of the PS5 last week, with the console set to hit retail availability starting November 12. There are two editions: the regular PlayStation 5 costs $499, and the PS5 Digital Edition is up for pre-order for $399.
Sony is barely able to sustain demand for pre-orders in most markets, with both the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition sold out everywhere. But there's a bigger problem in India, where Sony hasn't even bothered to share PS5 pricing or availability details. Aside from a listing on Amazon India (opens in new tab) that says the PS5 will be available "late 2020" and lets interested customers register interest in the console, there has been little in the way of information regarding Sony's next-gen console.
It's clear that the PS5 will be delayed in India, but for Sony to not reveal any details is inexcusable.
This isn't the first time Sony ignored the Indian market. The PlayStation 4 didn't launch in India until January 6, 2014 — nearly two months after it went on sale in the U.S. — and even then, availability for the first six months was so limited that it wasn't easy to get a hold of the console. Lack of availability has been a constant theme throughout the PS4 lifecycle, with limited edition variants selling out in minutes and DualShock controllers not available anywhere in the country.
At this point, it's clear that Sony would not be able to meet initial demand for the PS5. The pandemic has affected its production lines, and with demand for the console turning out to be greater than anticipated, it makes sense that Sony would want to wait a few months to release the PS5 in global markets. But for the brand to not share any information about pricing or availability for the Indian market is inexcusable.
The market size for consoles in India is miniscule compared to other regions, but PlayStation outsells Xbox by a factor of nine. That's why it's particularly frustrating to see Sony stay silent regarding PS5 availability in the country. Microsoft, for its part, revealed Xbox Series X and Series S pricing for India at the same time as other markets, and both consoles went up for pre-order in the country. The ₹49,990 ($680) Xbox Series X sold out on Amazon India (opens in new tab) in just 15 minutes, while the ₹34,990 ($475) Xbox Series S is still up for pre-order (opens in new tab).
Meanwhile, potential PS5 customers in India don't know how much the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition will cost, nor when either console will be available in the country. Sony doesn't sell phones in India anymore, and aside from its TV and camera businesses, PlayStation is the biggest revenue driver for the brand. By leaving its customers in the dark about PS5 availability, Sony is essentially showing that it just does not care about the Indian market. As a result, it has ceded first-mover advantage to Microsoft.
Get your hands on it before it sells out
PS5 is the place to be for exclusives like Spider-Man and Horizon Forbidden West. Unfortunately for anyone in India, we don't know when it will release or how much it will cost.
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Harish Jonnalagadda is a Senior Editor overseeing Asia at Android Central. He leads the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, contributing to reviews, features, and buying guides. He also writes about storage servers, audio products, and the semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.
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Very well written Boss!!!
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Thanks! It's annoying that Sony continues to ignore the Indian market for every new PlayStation launch.
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Nothing has changed in 7 years... Not too surprised. Sony perceive India as a market unwilling to pay full price sadly. Nintendo is no different either.
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I kinda wish it wasn't this way with India
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there are no gamers in india. ppl in india only do casual gaming on their 6 inch phone screens. they dont even buy in-game stuff. its sad. i just want to pair up two 3090 gpus in sli and go abt my business.
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Maple sama, you're right. It's a sad thing as well
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Does anybody want to create an online petition to force Sony to take India seriously?
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Sure, I would love to buddy. Get the link
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http://chng.it/w8K7d9WL5t
Let's try signing this petition -
What crap! Such writeups only create negativity amongs the public against perfectly good companies. Some retard has trademarked PS5 in India ahead of Sony. This is causing a delay in the gaming console's launch in India. The PS5 trademark is held by some guy who has a history of selling counterfeit Sony playstation accessories.