Christmas has come early! Sony has hired three jumbo jets filled with PlayStation 5 stock in an attempt to meet consumer demand over the holiday period. In what is described to be an "unprecedented air-lift", the console maker is set to bring about thousands of the game machines over the coming weeks.
The operation codenamed 'Santa Special' has already begun with the first and second delivery arriving on October 25th and October 29th. These were said to have enormous numbers of PS5 stock, containing 50 pallets full of the consoles. 12 articulated lorries were then required to transport the shipments from the airport to various distribution centres across the UK.
As originally reported by The Sun, Sony looks to bring in two cargo jumbo jets teeming with more consoles between now and the middle of November. The planes making the drops are Boeing 747s handled by Korean Airlines, taking off in north-west China (Tianjin) before arriving at Heathrow. It's said that the jets weigh 100 tonnes and have been "specially charted" to make sure anyone can get their hands on a PS5 in time for Christmas.
"A phenomenal operation has been underway to stock UK shelves of PS5s for Christmas," a Sony source reportedly told The Sun.
"Sony just wants to keep fans happy after a slew of issues with its new kit, and this is an unprecedented air-lift. The 747 plane is rare after being decommissioned by British Airways, but carries a vast amount of cargo as a freighter aircraft. Each plane can bring in 100 tonnes of equipment on almost 50 pallets. It means millions of gamers will now be smiling this Christmas."
This makes a lot of sense considering the number of restocks that have taken place in the last week, with GAME noted as one of the main retailers to receive three deliveries. GAME is now set to go live with another restock next week, potentially part of the shipment mentioned in the report. T3 has reached out to Sony for comment.
Outside of that, John Lewis has also confirmed its next shipment of stock, though it's not clear whether this is from the same operation. Either way, to keep up with all of the upcoming PS5 restocks around the UK, head on over the official T3 PS5 restock tracker.
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Matt is a freelance writer for T3, covering news and keeping up with everything games, entertainment, and all manner of tech. You can find his work across numerous sites across the web, including TechRadar, IGN, GamesRadar, Tom's Guide, Fandom, NME, and more. In his spare time, Matt is an avid cinema-goer, keen runner and average golfer (at best). You can follow him @MattPoskitt64
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