PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection pre-orders live blog — latest updates as PS5 Pro listings are now live

It's going to be a BIG day for PlayStation

Hello! Welcome to Tom's Guide's live coverage of the PlayStation 30 Anniversary Collection and PS5 Pro pre-order event. We're kicking off this blog a little early so we can give you all the details you need to secure your chosen hardware or accessory.

Whether you're eyeing up the super limited edition (and likely very pricey) PS5 Pro bundle, or you just wanted a PS5 DualSense controller that looks like the gamepad you used when you were a kid, we're on hand to guide you through the whole pre-order process giving you our best buying tips and alerting you when stock is live. 

What is the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection?

If you’re totally out of the loop, you might right now be wondering what exactly is the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection. In short, it’s a range of PS5 hardware and accessories, styled after the PlayStation 1 console, launching this winter to celebrate, you’ve guessed it, 30 years since the launch of the very first PlayStation console.

The headliner is the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Bundle (pictured above), which includes a special gray PS5 Pro console (with vertical stand), DualSense controller, DualSense Edge controller, DualSense Charging Station, and a Console Cover for a Disc Drive (though the drive itself is a separate purchase). You also get a seriously nifty controller charging cable, PlayStation-branded cable ties, sticker and paperclip, and finally a limited-edition PlayStation poster (1 of 30 possible designs). There will be only 12,300 of these available worldwide. The price is unconfirmed.

Other items include a PS5 Slim Digital Edition in this nostalgic PS1-inspired design alongside three accessories all decked out in this same stunning retro color scheme, these are the PlayStation Portal, DualSense Edge and the regular DualSense controller. 

The PS5 Pro looks set to be popular

Since Sony confirmed that the PS5 Pro would cost an eye-watering $699 / £699 / AU$1,199 there's been some speculation online whether such a hefty price tag will put customers off purchasing. However, ahead of PlayStation Direct U.K. dropping PS5 Pro ore-orders, at around 10 a.m. BST, a virtual queue has already started as Sony notes, "We're currently experiencing a large volume of customers to our site."

It certainly looks like the demand for the PS5 Pro is going to be significant, and we expect the interest in the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection will be even higher. And just to note, over on PlayStation Direct U.S. there isn't current a virtual queue to join, but we expect one will begin as we get closer to the pre-order drop time.   

Prepare yourself for a real sticker shock

Curiously, and dare I say, a little cynically, Sony has opted not to reveal the price of the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Bundle ahead of time. Considering today is the day that all 12,300 units will be made available to pre-order, it appears that Sony is holding back that crucial information until we’re all on PlayStation Direct attempting to buy one for ourselves in just a few hours. 

Prepare for a big figure, as estimates put the package at around $1,199. And while that is a price tag that will get your eyes watering, this bundle does pack a heck of a lot. You get a limited-edition PS5 Pro ($699), DualSense Edge ($199), DualSense ($69), and DualSense Charging Dock ($29), alongside all the extras like the charging cable themed after the PS1 controller connector. With all that included in the box, a four-figure price is almost guaranteed. 

PlayStation gamers in the U.K. get ready

PS5 Pro and PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection pre-orders are due to begin imminently in the U.K., so head over to PlayStation Direct now, and get yourself in the virtual queue if you're a Brit. We don’t know exactly how Sony will be allocating limited-edition stock to each region, but we’re expecting significant demand for the entire 30th Anniversary Collection in the U.K. as PlayStation is massively popular in the country. 

PS5 Pro and PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection pre-order are LIVE in the U.K. 

• PS5 Pro pre-orders: check stock @ PlayStation Direct U.K.

If you’re in the U.K., get yourself in the queue over at PlayStation Direct as pre-orders for the 30th Anniversary Collection and PS5 Pro are now live, and we also have a confirmed price in pounds for the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Bundle, it costs £959 (thanks IGN UK Deals), which converts to $1,280, but remember Sony has a history of charging European gamers more (for example, the standard PS5 Pro costs £699 in the U.K., which converts to a whopping $933), so this could be an indication that the PS5 Pro bundle might be a little cheaper than initially expected for American gamers…or the rumored $1,199 pricetag may prove to be accurate. Time will tell. 

The PlayStation Direct U.K. pre-order queue is moving

I'm slowly making my way to the front of the pre-order queue on PlayStation Direct U.K., currently my estimated wait time is less than 10 minutes, though this number has jumped around quite a bit, so I'm not putting full faith in that counter quite yet. 

PS5 Pro pre-orders kicked off in the UK almost 45 minutes ago (at 10 a.m. BST), so I'm very curious to see if there's any stock remaining, especially if there's still any allocation of the 30th Anniversary Collection (surely the PS5 Pro bundle will have been completely snapped up?). Will report back once I've been allowed to enter the retail site and get a read of the situation...

PlayStation Direct U.K. is struggling with demand

Happy to report that I'm now at the front of the queue at PlayStation Direct U.K., the regular PS5 Pro is still in stock, alongside the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection accessories (the PS5 Pro bundle and PS5 Slim are both sold out). 

However, it appears Sony's retail site is struggling to cope with demand as I'm getting a "something went wrong" error message when I try to checkout with a PS5 Pro in my basket. A quick scan of social media shows it's not just me either! 

PlayStation Direct U.K. success — here’s what I learned

After almost an hour in the virtual queue, followed by more than 30 minutes attempting to check out, I’ve been able to successfully place an order for the PS5 Pro on PlayStation Direct U.K.

For any U.S. folk reading this live blog, as we gear up for the main event, the PS5 Pro and 30th Anniversary Collection pre-orders going live on  PlayStation Direct U.S. at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, I’ve got one big takeaway from this (slightly painful) process. If possible, use a mobile device to access PlayStation Direct.  

I spent 35 minutes attempting to check out on PlayStation Direct U.K. using my desktop and each time got a “Something went wrong” error message. With my frustration growing, under the advice of a colleague I switched to a separate device, and on mobile my order went through on the very first attempt.

Scalpers are on the scene (unfortunately) 

As expected, unscrupulous scalpers are attempting to hoover up as much PS5 Pro and 30th Anniversary Collection stock as possible to sell us back to regular gamers at a massive inflated markup. 

Case in point, the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Bundle sold out in minutes in the U.K., despite its heft MSRP of £959, and there is already an eBay listing with the console set at a frankly outrageous £5,000 (that's a 421% increase from its regular retail price!). Hopefully, nobody buys it at such a ludicrous price.  

Here’s the one thing you need to do right now

PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection and PS5 Pro pre-orders are expected to go live in the U.S. in less than 3 hours (at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET), but Sony has yet to start a virtual queue on PlayStation Direct. So, if want to secure a PS5 Pro today, I strongly urge you to head over to the retailer and check you have a PlayStation Network account setup (and if you have one, that you know your password!)

You will need a PSN account to complete any transaction on PlayStation Direct, and the last thing you want to be doing when you get to the front of the queue is fumbling around making a fresh account, or having to click the “forgotten password” button, that’ll waste precious time you won’t have, especially if you’re hoping to secure one of the uber-limited PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary bundles. 

These are the PS5 games I want to play first on Pro

With time to fill until PS5 Pro pre-orders go live in the U.S., I’ve been looking over the list of the best PS5 games that are confirmed to be getting a boost on the Pro console at launch, and trying to decide which one I want to play first. 

Curiously, Demon’s Souls is the game that immediately jumps out at me. This PS5 launch game remains one of the console’s best-looking titles, but I’ve only ever played it in Performance Mode (in a Souls game every frame matters), so the chance to see Boletaria looking even more stunning than ever while keeping that smooth 60 fps is too good to pass up. 

I’m also thinking the PS5 Pro will be the perfect excuse to return to Dragon’s Dogma 2 for a second playthrough. This sprawling RPG is one of my favorite games of the year (so far), but as I noted in my review, played on the base PS5 it struggled to maintain even a consistent 30 fps. This action-heavy title will greatly benefit from the Pro’s increased power. 

PS5 Pro pre-orders in the U.K. — here’s the stock situation

• PS5 Pro: £699 @ PlayStation Direct UK
• PlayStation Portal (30th Anniversary Edition): £209 @ PlayStation Direct UK
• DualSense Controller (30th Anniversary Edition): check stock @ Amazon UK
  

Pre-orders for both the regular PS5 Pro and the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection went live on PlayStation Direct in the U.K. earlier today (Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. BST). While the retailer did deploy a virtual queue for the first two hours of sale, that has since been removed, and we can assume demand has now started to plateau. 

As of 1:15 p.m. BST, the PS5 Pro console and PlayStation Portal (30th Anniversary Editon) are both still in stock. However, the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Bundle is sold out (stock was snapped up within minutes) and the limited-edition DualSense Edge and regular DualSense controller are also “currently unavailable” at PS Direct. 

We have seen some stock at Amazon UK for the regular DualSense controller in this stunning retro gray color scheme, so keep checking as fresh stock could drop. 

PS5 Pro pre-order time for the US confirmed!

US gamers it’s time to start getting prepped as I’ve just spotted a virtual queue on PlayStation Direct for the first time today (at 8:31 a.m. ET to be exact), and Sony has now confirmed that PS5 Pro and PlayStation 30th Anniversary pre-orders will being at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. PT on PlayStation Direct. 

This was widely speculated to be the time, as it mirrors what we saw earlier in the day over in the U.K., but now we don't need to guess, we have concrete confirmation directly from the source. So, get yourself some breakfast, and get ready to pre-order your PS5 Pro!  

PlayStation Direct virtual queue is LIVE in the US!

it's go-time for PlayStation gamers in the US, PlayStation Direct has started the virtual queue, so go get your place in line ASAP! The queue is "paused" for now but it's expected to be unfrozen at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET, at which point queuers will be allowed to enter the site and pre-order a PS5 Pro or 30th Anniversary Collection item. 

PS5 Pro now sold out in the UK

Switching back to the U.K. for a moment, it looks like the PS5 Pro console has now sold out at PlayStation Direct (the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Bundle sold out hours ago). The console went on sale on PlayStation Direct UK at 10 a.m. BST and took around four hours to sell out, whether we’ll see something similar in the US remains to be seen for now. 

What this does tell us is that there is clearly a significant demand for the PS5 Pro, and while the $699 / £699 price tag was much mocked online, it’s not deterred the passionate PlayStation community from locking in their orders. 

So, if you want a PS5 Pro on your television this winter, get into the PlayStation Direct virtual queue right now ahead of the US drop at 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET. 

Time to play the waiting game

The PlayStation Direct queue is "paused", with Sony noting that users "have been temporarily placed in a waiting room", don't panic, this is normal, and the same process we saw during the U.K. pre-order event earlier today (if you don't believe me, scroll down, and you can see the same notification from a few hours ago). 

For now, there's nothing we can do but wait, the pre-order process will begin in around 10 minutes, so get your favorite drink of choice, and prepare your fingers for a speedy checkout, the faster you can click that "add to cart" button the better. 

PS5 Pro / PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection pre-orders are LIVE

• PS5 Pro / PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection pre-orders: check stock @ PlayStation Direct

The queue is moving (but pretty darn slowly), stock is available to order, now is the time to secure your PS5 Pro, or maybe even attempt to grab one of the super limited PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Bundles. As we saw in the U.K., stock is expected to move fast, so get yourself over to PlayStation Direct right now!!

PS5 DualSense (Anniversary Edition) at Best Buy and Walmart

• PS5 DualSense (30th Anniversary Controller): $79 @ Walmart
• PS5 DualSense (30th Anniversary Controller): $79 @ Best Buy

While the PS5 Pro won't be sold at retailers beyond PlayStation Direct until October 10, and most of the Anniversary Collection is also exclusive to Sony's own online retailer, the PS5 DualSense controller is currently available to buy at both Walmart and Best Buy, it costs $79 and is a regular PS5 pad but with a slick gray makeover. 

Queue is moving....but slowly

I can confirm that the PlayStation Direct queue is moving, but there's a lot of people trying to get onto the site. My wait time is currently estimated to be 40 minutes. The key advice at this stage is to not give up, some people will walk away and admit defeat early, but when it comes to buying in-demand items, persistence is key. Stick in the queue for now, and I'll report if I hear any whispers that stock is sold out. 

PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Bundle may be SOLD OUT

Bad news! I'm seeing multiple reports across social media that the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Bundle is now SOLD OUT on PlayStation Direct. 

A very kind reader of this blog who already reached the front of the queue has also shared with me a screenshot displaying an "out of stock" message, so the situation looks bleak if you're still in the queue. While I cannot verify the stock availability first hand (I'm still stuck in the virtual queue myself), if you're still waiting to get onto PlayStation Direct, I would advise preparing yourself to settle for a standard PS5 Pro. 

PS5 Pro pre-orders — here's the stock situation

• PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition Bundle: $999 (SOLD OUT)
• PS5 Pro: $699 (IN STOCK)
• PS5 Digital Edition 30th Anniversary Edition Bundle: $499 (IN STOCK)
• DualSense Edge Controller (30th Anniversary Edition): $219 (IN STOCK)
• PlayStation Portal Remote Player (30th Anniversary Edition): $219 (IN STOCK)
• DualSense Controller (30th Anniversary Edition): $79 (IN STOCK)

I've reached the front of the queue and have been redirected to PlayStation Direct, and I can confirm that the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition is sold out. However, the regular PS5 Pro is still in stock, as are the other items in the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection including the PS5 Slim Digital Edition (Anniversary Edition) 

PlayStation Direct queue is still active

We're approaching two hours since the PS5 Pro pre-order event began on PlayStation Direct, and there is no sign of the virtual queue being closed. Demand must still be pretty darn high. If you're currently in the queue, don't give up yet, there is still stock of the standard PS5 Pro available, as well as the 30th Anniversary accessories. 

PS5 Slim (30th Anniversary Edition) is SOLD OUT

We've got our second sold out item. I can confirm the PS5 Slim Digital Edition (30th Anniversary Edition) is now sold out on PlayStation Direct. This has been confirmed by a colleague and some very helpful Tom's Guide readers, so sadly, if you were hoping to snag a PS5 console decked out in retro gray today you're out of luck.

However, all hope is not lost. Additional retailers will be taking pre-orders on Thursday, October 10 (And you know we'll be covering that drop too), so if you didn't manage to snag one on PlayStation Direct, you will have a second chance very soon. 

DualSense Edge sold out, but regular DualSense in stock

• DualSense (30th Anniversary): $79 @ PlayStation Direct
• DualSense (30th Anniversary): for $79 @ Best Buy
• DualSense (30th Anniversary): $79 @Target
• DualSense (30th Anniversary): check stock @ Walmart
• DualSense (30th Anniversary): check stock @ Amazon

The DualSense Edge (30th Anniversary) is sold out, but you can still pick up a PS1-style version of the regular DualSense controller, which is still pretty nifty. 

Even better, the standard DualSense in classic gray is available not just at PlayStation Direct, but also at Best Buy and Target. It's also listed on Amazon and Walmart but is currently sold out at these two mega-retailers. 

PS5 Pro is still in stock....for now

• PS5 Pro: $699 @ PlayStation Direct

As of 12:30 p.m. ET, the PS5 Pro is still in stock at PlayStation Direct. Earlier today, during the U.K. pre-order drop, it took around four hours for the console to sell out, and we could see a repeat of that in the U.S. For now, you've still got time to secure yours, and this live blog will be updated if/'when the stock availability changes. 

It looks like the new consoles aren't the only thing selling out today. The Disc Drive for PS5 is in very short supply right now. We're tracking PS5 Disc Drive restock and it appears only the Sony store has stock. As a reminder, the PS5 Pro doesn't include a disc drive, so if you want it — you'll need to purchase the drive separately for an extra $79. 

• Sony: in stock for $79
• Walmart: check stock
• Amazon: check stock
• Best Buy: check stock

The PS5 Pro doesn't include a vertical stand. If you like having your console lying horizontally, that shouldn't be an issue. But if you're tight on space and need to have it standing, your best bet is the Vertical Stand for PS5. Sadly, it's not included with Sony's $699 console, but you can buy one for $29 (while supplies last, of course). 

Vertical Stand for PS5 for $29 @ Sony
Vertical Stand for PS5 for $29 @ Amazon

Only PS5 Pro is in stock right now....

It's about 4:30pm here in New York and right now only the PS5 Pro is in stock at PlayStation Direct. As we expected, all of the 30th Anniversary Edition consoles and accessories have sold out. Retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy have also sold out of inventory of the limited edition controllers. The good news is that you can still score a PS5 Pro if you're interested. And remember, should the PS5 Pro sell out today, retailers will have preorders available starting on October 10.