The U.S. launch of next generation consoles the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One just a couple weeks away, Best Buy is now offering up some details about how it will be handling its midnight releases for the devices at its major retail stores.
According to IGN, if you have pre-ordered either of the systems, you do not need to bother attending a midnight opening in order to be among the first to get your hands on a new system, games and accessories. Pre-orders will be held for a total of eight days following the device's launch. If your order isn't picked up during that time, it will be canceled and you will no longer be eligible to obtain your device as a pre-order.
If you have pre-ordered your console through BestBuy.com and have chosen in-store pickup, your pre-order is only good for that specific store. You will not be able to use your pre-order at another Best Buy retail location.
For those who want to attend the midnight opening you will need a few things. First, if you have an online pre-order, you need to have a government-issued photo ID on you, the credit or debit card that was used to make the order and the order number.
In-store pre-orders require you to have some sort of photo ID and deposit receipt as well.
"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."
Tickets for those who don't have a pre-order will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis for however many systems are available, so getting there early will benefit you. The whole process will begin two hours before the midnight launch and will be limited to one per customer.
There will be two lines at each store, one for pre-orders and one for those looking to obtain a console without one.
To find out if your local Best Buy retailer will be hosting a midnight release, you can check for events at Xbox One and PlayStation 4's Best Buy website.
