The Bizarre Moment That Caused Sony To Pull A PlayStation Ad

When Sony unveiled the PS5's design in 2020, fans couldn't help but comment on its massive frame and strong resemblance to a router. The bulky console's design actually helps the machine stay cool while playing demanding and graphically advanced games, but that doesn't make it look any less weird. Some gamers might feel confused about where they should display their PS5, or how to fit it within the confines of their current furniture, but there's one placement problem even Sony itself has struggled with.

Sony recently released an ad with an odd detail that immediately attracted viewers' attention. The now-deleted ad featuring a sweet father-son moment. IGN described the ad as "short and sweet," explaining that after parting ways with his kid, the father sat down to play "God of War," which also has an iconic father/son team. The ad seemed normal enough, but some fans latched on to one key moment.

Twitter users were quick to grab screenshots of the ad and point out that the PS5 sitting innocently on the shelf was indeed upside down. As IGN points out, the console would probably still function this way, but all discs and cables would have to be inserted the wrong way up, as well.

Naturally, gamers took the opportunity to poke fun at Sony, with one stating that "Australians play games too." A more disgruntled commenter explained, "Upside-down PS5, basically sums up Sony's current handling of their PlayStation brand from hardware distributions to game releases and legacy software. Embarrassing." 

Others tried to help Sony out by showing off their own placement of the PS5. One gamer showed off a vertical PS5 with a headset wrapped around the top, saying, "This is the only way I could imagine having my PS5 is vertical. Console looks very great this way and it has little ears."

One fan pointed out that mistakes in advertising are nothing new. In one infamous Nintendo advertisement, a family plays an NES that is both turned off and without a game. Meanwhile, a PlayStation executive caused a disturbance when he tweeted a video that showed his PS5 likewise displayed upside down.

Sony deleted the new ad shortly after gamers noticed the mistake, presumably because it did not want to show an incorrect placement of the PS5 or invite more criticism. 

Back in October 2020, a teardown video from Sony showed how the PS5 should be positioned: either vertically or horizontally. While the video does not present any kind of warning about placing the console upside down, PS5 fans can assume they're not supposed to emulate the strange choice in the deleted ad.