Sony announced on Friday the PlayStation 5 will become available in India on February 2nd, indicating improvements within the supply network that experienced significant disruptions last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Japanese company stated that pre-order opportunities for the new gaming console will commence in India, the world’s second-largest internet market, on January 12th. Customers will be able to pre-order the console through various retailers, including Amazon India, Flipkart, Croma, Reliance Digital, Games the Shop, Sony Center, and Vijay Sales, according to the company.

The PlayStation 5 will have a retail price of Indian rupees 49,990 ($685), while the digital edition will be available for Indian rupees 39,990 ($550). For comparison, the Xbox Series X is priced at $685 in India, and the Xbox Series S is sold for $480. Both Xbox consoles were initially released in India in November.

Similar to the global situation, Microsoft has encountered difficulties in fulfilling the demand for the new Xbox consoles within India. The scarcity of the Xbox Series X in the country is such that finding its product page on Amazon India is proving challenging.

This announcement should relieve anxieties among dedicated PlayStation enthusiasts, some of whom – myself included – had to purchase units through the gray market at inflated prices in recent months following India’s exclusion from the initial PS5 launch wave. Fans have also expressed dissatisfaction with Sony and its partners due to a lack of clear information or inconsistent statements regarding the potential launch date of the new gaming console in recent months.

In November, Sony indicated that the PS5’s Indian launch was postponed because of local import regulations. Earlier this week, the gaming news website The Mako Reactor reported that Sony may not provide warranty or after-sales service for PlayStation 5 accessories in India, mirroring a practice from several prior console generations.

Currently, India does not represent a substantial market for traditional gaming consoles. Industry estimations suggest that Sony and Microsoft collectively sold only several hundred thousand units of their previous-generation consoles in the country. The widespread availability of inexpensive Android smartphones and the world’s lowest-cost mobile data plans have led to tens of millions of Indians adopting mobile gaming in recent years.