The highly-anticipated Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) will be launched in Singapore on Nov. 19, and in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Mexico and South Korea on Nov. 12.

Even prior to its release, though, some people have been apparently flaunting their brand-new, unboxed PS5s on social media, thanks to a very realistic-looking Instagram filter.

The Hougang Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) also got in on the filter fun, as part of their message against scams.

"What you see might not be what you get"

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Nov. 5, Hougang NPC shared a collage of four photos.

These photos feature an officer walking by what appear to be PS5 boxes sitting out in public.

"Did the PS5 release early!?", the post asked.

Hougang NPC wrote that many people claim to have gotten their hands on the gaming console already, and reminded people that "what you see might not be what you get."

It added:

"Scams are just another form of illusions that trick you into believing. They are out there with strong temptations that you may not be able to resist."

The Instagram filter

The filter is created by augmented reality content creator, known as Aroneverything on Instagram, and has been used by a number of people to prank their friends into thinking that they have already gotten their hands on the PS5.

To use the filter, one just needs to follow Aroneverything on Instagram, tap on the middle emoji icon, and add the filter.

The filter creator posted an Instagram story highlight as a reminder to people that the filter was created for fun, and asked them to use the filter ethically and responsibly.

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Top photo via Facebook / Hougang NPC.