With the U.S. launches of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One just two and three weeks away, respectively, Best Buy has offered up some details on how it will be handling midnight launches at its retail stores.
If you pre-ordered either system, you do not need to attend a midnight opening in order to get your system, games, and accessories; pre-orders will be held for eight days following launch. If your order is not picked up during that window, though, it will be canceled. Whether you pre-ordered in-store or through BestBuy.com and chose in-store pickup, your pre-order is only good for the store you selected -- it will do you no good if you go to a different store.
For those attending a midnight opening, there are several things you must bring with you. Anyone with an online pre-order needs to have a government-issued photo ID, the credit or debit card used on the order (assuming something like PayPal wasn't used), and the order number. In-store pre-orders require you to have the same sort of ID and the deposit receipt given to you when the pre-order was placed.
"We are anticipating lines to form at many of our stores so we recommend that you arrive early," a Best Buy Q&A reads. "The processing of pre-orders will begin up to 2 hours before midnight and will begin with the front of the line and continue in the order that people arrived. While your pre-order may be processed before midnight, no consoles will be given to customers until after 12:01 a.m."
"Limited quantities" of each console will be available for those without a pre-order in addition to the allotment of systems for those with one. Tickets for these non-pre-order systems will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis for however many systems are available. This process will begin two hours before the midnight launch, and there will be a limit of one per customer.
While some stores might be different, Best Buy says most will have one line for pre-order customers and one for those hoping to get a system without one. Orders for all pre-order customers will be processed before those without one.
Those with pre-orders are encouraged to make sure their credit or debit card has the necessary balance for the order to be processed. The card will be authorized again before the order is filled, and if the balance isn't large enough or the card is canceled, the order itself may be canceled. Should you need to change any payment information, you can contact Best Buy at 1-888-237-8289.
Not all Best Buy locations will be opening at midnight for the launches. To find out which stores will be hosting midnight release events, check out the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 pages on Best Buy's website.
In North America, PlayStation 4 is scheduled for release on November 15 and Xbox One on November 22.
