A customer waits in a queue inside an electronics store in Sydney on Nov 12, 2020, on the day of the official launch of Sony's next-generation PlayStation 5 gaming console. (SAEED KHAN / AFP)

TOKYO - Sony Corp’s PlayStation 5 (PS5) console launched in core markets on Thursday to intense interest online, but with first day real-world sales limited to pre-order pick-ups due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has driven a boom in gaming demand.

Sony has made launch sales online only to maintain social distancing, calling for consumers to “be safe, stay home, and place your order online”.

The next-generation console, which retails for US$500 or US$400 without a disk-drive, was sold out on major retailing sites in Japan with some conducting lotteries to distribute limited stock.

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An employee prepares the new Sony PlayStation 5 gaming console for a customer on the first day of its launch, at an electronics shop in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture on Nov 12, 2020. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

On Japan’s top flea market platform from Mercari Inc, consoles were selling for more than US$900.

Pent-up demand for the PS5, which offers cutting-edge graphics, faster load times and a new controller with immersive feedback, has been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has seen consumers flock to gaming but has strained supply chains.

Analysts see shortages of consoles from Sony and rival Microsoft Corp, which launched Xbox devices on Tuesday, extending into 2021.

A customer carries away a PlayStation 5 console from an electronics store in Sydney on Nov 12, 2020, on the day of the official launch of Sony's next-generation gaming console. (SAEED KHAN / AFP)