Gamers in Dubai may have to wait until mid-December or early 2021 before getting their hands on the latest Sony Playstation 5 console.
Shoppers were left disappointed during the first weekend sales as retailers experienced heavy demand.
The popular gaming system, priced at Dh2,100, sold out in advance across much of the country.
The official UAE launch was on Thursday, November 19 but almost all available machines were ordered pre-launch or reserved and shipped to customers.
Retailers are unlikely to have stocks replenished until at least the second week of December or even early 2021, they said.
Shoppers at Jumbo electronics in the Mall of the Emirates referred buyers to an online registration site so they could be notified once stock arrived.
“We only had a limited number of machines that had been pre-ordered back in August or September, so a lot of people were disappointed,” said Suhail, a sales assistant at the branch.
“It is four years since the PS4 Pro was launched, so there was a lot of anticipation.
“We will offer a first-come, first-served basis when we have more stock in, but it will only be sold through our online store.
“Hopefully, we will have a machine to go on display before Christmas.”
Some avid gamers paid extra to order pre-launch to ensure they had a console delivered on launch day.
Consoles imported from the US were on sale via Ebay for as much as Dh6,240 on Monday, almost three times the recommended retail price.
Demonstration models were also in short supply at Dubai electronics outlets.
The Mall of the Emirates branch of Geekay had one of the few machines on show and sold 100 consoles on pre-order. Staff there said new stock was unlikely until the new year.
E-max, also in Mall of the Emirates, sold 400 consoles to customers who had ordered, some as early as September.
Those prepared to pay online in advance faced a wait of at least three more weeks before the shop could deliver consoles as demand is likely to far exceed supply.
Sales managers in Sharaf DG stores said its limited supplies had sold out early to customers who ordered pre-launch.
At their Mall of the Emirates branch, all 25 machines available were sold a month in advance.
Etisalat advertised the digital edition of Playstation 5 for downloaded games for only Dh1679, but was also out of stock.
Researchers at the University of Oxford said video gaming will have a long-term effect on well-being in the Middle East as its popularity increases.
It comes after a surge in Arab-language gaming during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Twitch, the world’s largest live gaming steaming service reported an increase in Arab-language viewers during the pandemic.
In September, Twitch recorded 317,265 Arab-language viewers, while in October the numbers jumped a little more than 30 per cent to 413,000.
That contributed to a total of 3.4 million viewers so far in 2020, with the figures likely to soar with the release of the latest Playstation.
Despite that forecast, some mental health experts said games should be played in moderation.
“The potential dangers associated with excessive gaming far outweigh the benefits,”said Dr Haseeb Rohilla, a psychiatrist at the Priory Wellbeing Centre, Dubai.
“While some gaming has provided certain benefits during the pandemic by offering a way to remain socially connected, in terms of promoting positive mental health, there is simply no comparison with being fully engaged with family and friends.”
Gaming releases the good chemical dopamine but an excess of the hormone in the brain reduces its production.
That can lead to potential problems, Dr Rohilla said.
“The result is that the player ends up with a diminished supply of this neurotransmitter, and often goes on to develop behavioural problems and withdrawal symptoms,” he said.
"Any form of screen time encourages sedentary behaviour so dedicated 'breaks' during the day should be set aside whereby children and adults are encouraged to be active and engage in face-to-face social interaction."
