PlayStation fans, who were seen standing in queues earlier this week waiting for the launch of Sony’s new gaming console, were finally at ease after getting their hands on the new PlayStation 4 console Saturday midnight.
PlayStation 4’s Japan launch followed its massive debut in the United States and Europe, where more than 5.3 million units have been already sold since November.
The midnight launch (15:00 GMT Friday) saw the first 100 customers taking home a new console from Sony Building, a flagship display venue in Tokyo’s bustling district of Ginza, hours ahead of a nationwide mass release.
CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), Andrew House, thanked the first buyers by saying “Thank you for coming to this launch despite the cold.”
Some of the eager fans were seen standing in long queues for two days just to be among the first in Japan to own the new console.
Tetsuya Tamura, a 44-year-old IT engineer who arrived on Wednesday with his son, Shion, 19, to take first place in the queue, said “I want to play games with state-of-the-art technology.”
“I can’t wait to play PS4 as the domestic release was quite late. I’m a big fan of PlayStation and SCE. I hope Sony will regain momentum with this successful launch”, said Mitsuhiro Chisaka, 30, who queued at another countdown event in Tokyo.
A report released by the NPD Group last week has revealed that Sony’s PS4 is outselling Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles in the U.S. market.
Analysts are of the opinion that PS4’s Japan launch is further going to strengthen its global lead.
