UK retailer Currys has started drawing winners from its PS5 raffle system

UK retailer Currys has begun drawing winners from its recently launched raffle system for PlayStation 5 purchases.

Since early March, people hoping to get their hands on one of the sought-after consoles have been able to register for a Currys PS5 Priority Pass to be in with a chance of being randomly selected to buy one when they are available.

Successful participants will be emailed a Priority Pass containing a unique PS5 buying code which will be valid for 72 hours, along with details of the local Currys PC World store they can purchase the console from.

Under current UK government guidelines, non-essential retailers including electronic goods stores will not be able to open any earlier than April 12, so winners won’t be able to get their PS5 console before that date.

Customers who were unsuccessful in the most recent Currys Priority Pass draw remain in the hat for the next one, the retailer said on Monday.

UK technology retailer Box has been selling Xbox Series X/S consoles via a raffle system over the past few months.

When it receives fresh stock, the company selects pre-registered customers from a ballot and offers those picked the chance to purchase one of Microsoft’s latest consoles.

“Box.co.uk have taken the decision to utilise a ballot format so that customers can receive a fair chance to purchase an Xbox Series X, while keeping our website online throughout the process,” the firm explained previously.

“This ensures a smoother transaction and stops customers from having to battle each other on a website put under an enormous amount of strain with huge volumes of traffic all trying to purchase the same product at one time.”

Microsoft has suggested it could change how future consoles are pre-ordered in a bid to avoid the sort of chaotic online retail experiences witnessed in recent months.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer told The Verge in November 2020 that Microsoft has discussed giving customers the chance to put a deposit down and reserve a console with a guaranteed delivery date.