PlayStation 5 stock in Dubai: consoles may be available by Christmas

The official UAE launch was on Thursday but most machines were reserved for pre-release orders and shipped to customers. Imported consoles from the US are on sale via Ebay for Dh6,240

A man looks at the new Sony PlayStation 5 console at a store in Tokyo, Japan. EPA

The new console launched on November 12 in Japan, the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. EPA

PS5 arrived in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and South Africa on November 19. EPA

A customer walks away after purchasing the new Sony Playstation 5 in Seoul, South Korea. AFP

Sony Playstation 5 branding replaces the traditional Oxford Circus underground logo on the platform of the tube station in London, UK, ahead of the console's launch. Reuters

Sony Playstation 5 branding is displayed outside the Oxford Circus underground. Reuters

A customer carries away a Playstation 5 console from an electronic store in Sydney. AFP

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.

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.

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.

The Sony PlayStation video game console was first released in 1994. This is a Japanese SCPH-1000, which was the very first model of PlayStation commercially released. Wikipedia Commons

A Sony PlayStation 2, released in the year 2000. It is here shown with 8MB memory card and DualShock 2 controller. Wikipedia Commons

The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console, first released in 2006 as the successor to the PlayStation 2. This model is the CECHA01, one of the first two models released. It features a 60GB hard drive, hardware-based backwards compatibility with PS2 games and flash memory card readers. Wikipedia Commons

The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console, shown with DualShock 3 controller. This is a seventh generation console first released in 2006 as the successor to the PlayStation 2. This model is the 'Slim', model 2001A, the first revision of the PlayStation 3 hardware that was made much lighter and smaller than the previous version. Wikipedia Commons

A silver PSP-3000, the third-generation model of the PlayStation Portable portable game console, released in 2008. Wikipedia Commons

The PSP Go, an alternate model of the PlayStation Portable system from Sony. Released in 2009, it was a UMD-less version of the PSP, relying on digital-only versions of games. It has 16GB of internal storage and can be expanded with a proprietary memory card. Wikipedia Commons

The PSP Go, an alternate model of the PlayStation Portable system from Sony. Released in 2009, it was a UMD-less version of the PSP, relying on digital-only versions of games. It has 16GB of internal storage and can be expanded with a proprietary memory card. Wikipedia Commons

A North American Sony PSP-1000 handheld video game console. This was released in 2009.

The Sony Xperia Play phone, shown close. Released in 2011, this Android phone featured a slide-out section with traditional game controls, similar to a Sony PSP Go. It was able to play PlayStation Mobile games, which includes ports of original PlayStation games, PSP games and some original titles. Wikipedia Commons

The Sony Xperia Play phone, shown opened. Released in 2011, this Android phone featured a slide-out section with traditional game controls, similar to a Sony PSP Go. It was able to play PlayStation Mobile games, which includes ports of original PlayStation games, PSP games and some original titles. Wikipedia Commons

The PlayStation Move controller. A motion-sensing controller for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, needs to be used in conjunction with the PS Eye or PS4 Camera. Wikipedia Commons

The PlayStation 4 Pro video game console. Produced by Sony and launched worldwide in November 2016, the Pro is an enhanced model of the original PlayStation 4 that offers extra capabilities through an upgraded GPU, faster RAM and a CPU with a higher clock speed. Wikipedia Commons

The Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition console and DualSense controller. The PS5 came out in November 2020. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment

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."