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Missed your chance to secure a PlayStation 5 30th Anniversary Limited Edition console when it launched late last year? Sony is offering a rare second chance next week, but you'll need to be quick.
This one-of-a-kind PS5 pays tribute to the first-generation console, which launched three decades ago. Sony initially produced 12,300 units, and each was individually numbered as a collector's item.
Unsurprisingly, this nostalgic console sold out in minutes when it went on sale in late 2024. Scalpers were quick to list the PlayStation 5 30th Anniversary Limited Edition console on auction sites with enormous mark-ups in price.
Argos was forced to cancel orders for the PS5 30th Anniversary Limited Edition due to limited stock.
@ArgosHelpers is this a joke preorder made last Thursday confirmation received now can’t get this elsewhere as it was a limited run. I want my item @Argos_Online @IGNUKDeals pic.twitter.com/1nWJ0xoo8W
— Natalie ❤️ (@Natty301288) October 14, 2024
The retailer hasn't confirmed exactly how many PS5 consoles have been cancelled, but added: "We have contacted the customers affected to tell them how sorry we are for the disappointment this has caused and confirm they will receive a full refund."
Those who mistakenly believed they'd secured a limited edition PS5 30th Anniversary console started to receive an automated email from Argos yesterday, informing them that the UK retailer was "unable to fulfil" the order.
Initially, there was confusion as some customer service representatives suggested the cancellation emails were sent in error. However, others confirmed the cancellations were legitimate.
An Argos representative told one customer that "as this is a mass cancellation, it is taking time for some orders to update to cancelled". The retailer has since clarified that some orders were indeed cancelled due to being "processed incorrectly".
Customers have taken to social media to express their frustration with the cancellations. One user, @Natty301288, tweeted: "@ArgosHelpers is this a joke preorder made last Thursday confirmation received now can't get this elsewhere".
Taking to the Elon Musk-owned platform, another PS5 fan raged: "Shame on you Argos, for overselling ps5 30th anniversary edition and not fulfilling my order even after i payed for it I was supposed to get in on launch day 21 November wich is also MY BIRTHDAY . You lost me as a costumer FOREVER" [sic]
I do apologise for any inconvenience or frustration this may have caused however we've been advised that this is due to a stock issue. Any cancelled orders will be refunded and we're very sorry for any upset caused.
— Argos Helpers (@ArgosHelpers) October 14, 2024
Shame on you Argos, for overselling ps5 30th anniversary edition and not fulfilling my order even after i payed for it I was supposed to get in on launch day 21 November wich is also MY BIRTHDAY . You lost me as a costumer FOREVER
— Nandor Antal (@nand15566) October 15, 2024
@Argos_Online Will you be getting the PS5 30th Anniversary back online anytime soon. You’ve cancelled my order.
— Tom Curley (@tomowencur) October 15, 2024
Same here 😫
— NorthBankJ (@JoshVin07) October 15, 2024
Another disappointed customer, @Malik_Zain7, shared on X, formerly Twitter: "@Argos_Online this some kind of joke??? After taking payment for a limited edition console and also sending me a confirmation email, you're now saying it's cancelled?"
"@Argos_Online just received my cancellation email. What a complete joke that you allowed people to pre order the PS5 30th Anniversary Edition if you couldn’t fulfil the stock. Now I have to wait five plus days for you to refund me. Horrific customer experience," another added in the wake of the cancellations.
While Argos customers will recieve a refund, there's currently no way to secure the limited edition console in the UK. Sony lists the nostaglic refresh of its latest console as "Currently Unavailable". Unless Sony decides to produce more of these consoles, for many disappointed fans, the initial preorder rush at Argos might've been the only shot at securing this commemorative piece of PlayStation history.
Sony unveiled the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection last month, featuring a nostalgic light-grey outer shell reminiscent of the original PlayStation. The PS One-esque paint-job is available on the PS5 Digital Edition and the £699 PS5 Pro announced last month.
GETTY IMAGES | Sony's all-new PS5 Pro console doesn't include a disc drive as standard, so you won't be able to play physical games or Blu-rays without spending an extra £99.99
Sony CEO Hideaki Nishino stated, "We believe the beginning of our journey is an important part of our history at Sony Interactive Entertainment, which is why we are honouring this moment by bringing the original PlayStation design theme into the latest products for PS5".
The new PlayStation 5 models will go head-to-head with the revised Xbox Series X announced earlier this summer during the all-important Christmas shopping rush.
The regular PS5 Pro does not replace any models in the current lineup, Sony will continue to sell a digital-only variant of the PS5 for £389, rising to £479.99 for the standard PS5 console with a disc drive capable of playing physical games and Blu-rays. Both of these models were refreshed last year with a slimmer design and an extra USB-C port for accessories on the front.
It's worth noting that, unlike previous generations, PlayStation hardware costs have actually increased over time. The original PS5 launched at £449 in 2020, with prices slowly increasing in the last four years.
Some believe that Sony's timing of the PS5 Pro announcement is designed to capitalise on interest in Grand Theft Auto VI, which will launch sometime in the new year.
GTA 6 is the sequel to the biggest-selling entertainment product of all time — selling over 190 million copies worldwide and generating revenue of $8.5 billion for Edinburgh-based developers Rockstar North and parent company Take-Two Interactive. Sony didn't confirm whether Grand Theft Auto VI will be optimised to take advantage of the new console.