It's the first time I've tried to get a console at launch as well, as I've mainly gamed on PC for a long time now. I got a PS4 Pro 2.5 years ago though and that rekindled my interest in console gaming. It's certainly not been a fun situation to try to get one, even though I never really put in any effort myself and just got lucky.
Some stores here started taking pre-orders in April last year, and if you do that early you'll be set. The problem is that those stores have no idea how many consoles they will actually be getting, and I heard that one of them only got enough to cover about 5% of their pre-orders, which were the ones ordering in April to June last year. I guess this launch might make even such early pre-ordering more hectic in the future.
I agree that something needs to be done better on a higher level though, preferably from Sony. Something that makes it easier for actual people to get their hands on them instead of scalpers using bots to buy a ton of units. It actually hurts Sony a bit as well since they are selling consoles at a loss. If some people buy them only to sell them at a higher price fewer will be sold to actual people that spend money on games (as I doubt all the expensive ones get sold), which is how Sony actually makes their money on this.
Nice to hear that the controller worked well in Dirt 5. I'm probably going to take a stab at Demon's Souls today and hopefully it's well implemented there as well. It's my first time with a Souls game so I also hope I won't find it too hard that it becomes frustrating.
Here in the USA, the stores didn't start taking preorders until that day in September after the Sony event revealed the price and release date for the PS5. Then a few hours later, the preorders literally went live. Sure, the retailers let you sign up several months beforehand to be on a "list" to notify you when preorders went live. But, in reality, that didn't do much to help......haha.
It was definitely a unique experience to watch that Sony event in the afternoon, get hyped by FFXVI reveal, the Demon's Souls trailer, and then the price/release date reveal. And just a few hours later when the preorders suddenly went live, to get swept up in that whole marathon session of trying to preorder the console, which lasted 7 hours!
In a way, for me at least, I guess that experience makes getting the PS5 more special for me. But again, it's not really an experience I care to repeat with another console launch.
And good luck with Demon's Souls. I've never been a fan of the Souls games before, having only played a bit of Demon's Souls back on the PS3 and then a bit of Dark Souls and Bloodborne later on. Just was never a fan of the difficulty level and the whole concept of the Souls games in general.
However, I am giving Demon's Souls a chance and I must say it is becoming strangely addicting to want to return to that world and make whatever progress you can. You just have to accept the difficulty and challenge and that dying-repeat-dying-repeat is just part of the game.
Following a walkthrough online has also helped, and for a game like this, I don't mind the extra help.
Also, in terms of graphics and visuals, I think Demon's Souls does the best job of showcasing the new hardware and showing off the potential for next gen. I think that is a big part of why I'm interested in the game.
As for the Dualsense with Demon's Souls, I can't say it has stood out as much as playing Dirt 5 or Spider-Man Remastered. However, that could be because I'm so focused on not dying in the game and thus there isn't much time to just walk around and enjoy the scenery or the controller.....haha.
