Complete chaos at Tokyo retailer over PS5 sales

The PlayStation 5 launched last November, but months later it’s still difficult to catch one, especially in Japan. Early today, the Yodobashi Camera electric megastore in Akihabara, one of the largest in the country, sold a huge shipment of PS5s. All hell broke loose.

People started pushing and shoving, coming down on a Yodobashi employee who had a stack of about 300 numbered tickets to buy the PS5.

Take a look at the chaos that followed:

The police were called and the sale was canceled.

Why did this happen? Like Twitter AJapaneseDream points out that Akihabara’s location is apparently just one of two Yodobashi cameras in the greater Tokyo-Yokohama area that does not require the retailer’s black credit card to purchase the equipment – a requirement that has been instituted , it seems, to thwart the dealers.

Plus, unlike in the past, the store was handing out numbered, first-come, first-served tickets. In the past, also in an attempt to discourage console flipping, the retailer would give out raffle numbers for the chance to purchase the hardware.

This created a perfect opportunity for those who wanted to get a PS5 or even sell it.

Keep in mind that the Japanese government has currently declared a state of emergency on the novel coronavirus. Tokyo has the highest number of cases in the country.

All tweets have been used with permission.