Wait, what? Isn’t PSVR already out in Japan? You bet it is. And yet, this morning, there were long lines at retailers across the country.
The reason being that a new shipment of PSVR headsets hit Japanese shops today. Demand was so high at some locations that people had to line up for a chance to buy.
#PSVR の抽選販売を明日・1月26日(木)に実施致します！
抽選に参加のお客様は明日9時～10時の間に2階の特設会場までお越し下さいませ☆
※ご当選された方は当日16時までにご購入下さい。
時間を過ぎると無効となります。お1人様1点の販売とさせて頂きます。 pic.twitter.com/FOLzhtoPgi— ビックカメラ新宿西口店💙 (@bic_shinjyuku) January 25, 2017
This morning major retailers like Bic Camera and Sofmap passed out raffle tickets between 9am and 10am with winners announced starting at noon. Those lucky folks could then purchase the PlayStation VR between 12pm and 4pm.
Here’s how the raffle results were posted at the Sofmap in Akihabara.
PSVRソフマップ本館の抽選結果。入荷60台、カメラ無しは4台とか…みんな肩を落として帰っていくな俺もだけど！ pic.twitter.com/WBBjp6lj5H
— 六甲 (@earlbox) January 26, 2017
Folks holding these numbers were able to buy the PSVR. That means that not everyone who waited was able to get the headset.
More amazing is that in Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo, people started lining up last night!
ヨドバシ 梅田
そろそろ始発組が来るかな？ pic.twitter.com/qvZhocbogY— BC | Dao (プロライセンス頑張る！) (@zikkyoudao) January 25, 2017
流石にこの時間にこの人数w
並ぶのめんどいなw 通販で買えるか試そう(；´Д｀)とりあえずこの時間からお疲れ様です朝までに凍死しないでくださいねw#PSVR#ヤマダ電機 LABI名古屋 pic.twitter.com/eVkZ6wDAvJ
— ほのりん番長@ライブ鑑賞屋 (@soulxross) January 25, 2017
【PSVR】ヨドバシカメラ新宿西口本店ホビーゲーム館、閉店前ですが既に10人弱並んでます！ pic.twitter.com/iORjFJvEjC
— VR TOKYO (@vr_tokyo) January 25, 2017
新宿ヨドバシ24時の次点で既にすごい人が並んどる((((；ﾟДﾟ)))) 整理券ゲットしたから多分買える！ #PSVR pic.twitter.com/Z8N1idkw1O
— T-SYSTEM (@t_system) January 25, 2017
At 11:30pm, there were already 50 people at the Yodobashi Camera in Osaka’s Umeda.
ヨドバシ梅田のPSVR待機列、50人かな( ´ ・ω ・` ) pic.twitter.com/xHhELpxD9p
— 虎竹刀@技術屋見習い (@GA_teon) January 25, 2017
The Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo’s Shinjuku sold out by 1:26am.
PSVR、ついに先着販売のヨドバシカメラ新宿西口店は完売したようです…！ pic.twitter.com/sUyWETc3VU
— VR TOKYO (@vr_tokyo) January 25, 2017
Below is the Bic Camera in Ikebukuro this morning.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/824414407824338945
Remember, this is a weekday!
And Yodobashi Camera in Osaka’s Umeda.
06：46
ヨドバシ 梅田 PSVR 行列
第2折り返し地点到達！
250人は超えてる？ pic.twitter.com/3A6Z6j4EMx— BC | Dao (プロライセンス頑張る！) (@zikkyoudao) January 25, 2017
This Twitter user guessed that by 6:46am, there might have been over 250 people in like at that Yodobashi Camera in Umeda.
ヨドバシAkiba「プレイステーションVR」の再入荷販売で約200人の列。転売ヤーやプロのかたとおもわれるひと多数で既に本日の販売予定分は終了している pic.twitter.com/L8TXfHdBPW
— ﾂﾙﾐﾛﾎﾞ (@kaztsu) January 25, 2017
According to Twitter user Kaztsu, around two hundred people lined up at the Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo’s Akihabara. (Also, Kaztsu says there were folks lined up intending to resell the PSVR online. Of course there were!)
https://twitter.com/embed/status/824378219650428928
Japan’s interest in the PlayStation VR should not come as a total surprise. The hardware’s launch last October drew long lines
In case you missed it, you can read Kotaku’s PlayStation VR review right here.
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