- A massive crowd gathered at Palladium Mall Ahmedabad for the first exclusive PlayStation store
- Shoppers waited hours in chaotic queues due to ongoing nationwide PS5 shortage
- Customers received tokens to claim the PS5 later instead of the console immediately
A massive crowd flooded the Palladium Mall in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, desperate to snap up a PlayStation 5 amid an ongoing nationwide shortage of the console. Videos being widely circulated on social media showed long, chaotic queues outside the venue, where eager shoppers waited hours for a turn. The rush coincided with Thursday's (Jul 16) grand opening of the city's very first exclusive PlayStation store.
In the now-viral Instagram clip shared by user Ayudh Manwani, security guards and the PlayStation Store employees can be seen handling the crowd and ushering the customers one by one. Some customers detailed that they had not received the console itself, but rather a token, which would allow them to grab the device later.
As the video went viral, social media users joked that the PS5 had become a great investment, nearly six years after its launch. While console prices generally decline late in their lifecycle, the PS5 remains expensive due to ongoing supply constraints and sustained popularity.
"Invested in a disc PS5 in 2021, now it's up by 25k, should I hold or sell," said one user, while another added: "They are gving free goodies with the product. Perhaps, that is the reason for the excess crowd."
Check The Viral Clip Here:
PlayStation 5 Price Hike
Demand for the PlayStation 5 has skyrocketed across India ahead of the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6). However, gamers are rushing to buy the console before an imminent global price hike hits the domestic market.
Sony is raising prices globally for the PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal remote player due to ongoing economic pressures. A primary driver is the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, which has severely inflated the cost of essential components like RAM and memory chips.
“With continued pressures in the global economic landscape, we've made the decision to increase the prices of PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal remote player globally,” Isabelle Tomatis, Sony's vice president of global marketing, said in March.
While current inventory is still available at standard retail rates, leaked figures suggest a massive price jump is coming to India soon. According to an IGN India report citing an industry insider on Discord, the retail price of the PS5 Slim Digital Edition is expected to rise to Rs 64,990, while the Disc edition of the PS5 Slim may cost Rs 69,990.
