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A PS5 restock took place today as Sony’s PlayStation Direct for those who received exclusive access. It appears that many people received this email because it ran out of consoles before the store opened to the public. Walmart also had its own restocking Thursday night, but it was a little one that didn’t last long. Since restockings rarely happen on weekends, we’ll look to next week for more consoles. Best Buy and Amazon are two retailers that haven’t had a restock for some time that we’re monitoring.
PlayStation Direct invitations have been released more recently, so to make sure you’re eligible, check that you have accepted all promotional emails in your PlayStation account settings. Once you’ve done that, you’ll want to keep an eye on your email everyday, including spam or promotions folders. In addition to PlayStation Direct, we’re also keeping an eye on Best Buy and Amazon, as those stores haven’t had a PS5 drop yet this month.
Want to get your hands on a PS5? We have tracked all places selling both the standard edition and digital edition of the PS5 for months, helping thousands of people grab the console when it appears. If you’re struggling to find one on your own, this article provides some helpful tips for checking out and knowing when the next PS5 bundle will be available for purchase.
Andrew Hoyle / CNET
Why is the PS5 so hard to find?
There are three big reasons why you still struggle to get a PS5. The first is the most obvious: the system is really popular. Sony claims the PS5 is its best-selling console and has already sold 10 million units since its launch.
The second reason is the current shortage of chips that affects most of the world’s electronic devices. Sony said it got enough chips to meet its goal of 14.8 million consoles for the year.
As for the last reason, it is about bots. Resellers use software to buy large numbers of PS5s at a time, leaving only a few for real humans to buy. Retailers have added various robot protections when restocking the PS5, but these restrictions only hamper resellers.
Where has the PS5 been available lately?
Inventory refreshes have been slim in the field this month, although they have accelerated this week. Here’s a look at the recent history of restocking the PS5:
How can I get a PS5 on PlayStation Direct?
The store with the most frequent PS5 restockings is the official Sony store, Playstation direct. Drops typically take place at 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET) in the middle of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). What Sony has done recently is give out a lucky few email invitations for exclusive store access, which typically starts at 12:00 p.m. PT (3:00 p.m. ET).
To get one of these special invitations, you don’t just need luck, you also need a PSN account. You can register on the PSN website and it’s free. When registering, be sure to accept marketing emails from Sony. From there, it’s about being patient and having a bit of luck on your side. It appears that priority access emails are sent randomly, but you will need to participate in one of the queues on PlayStation Direct to be considered.
PlayStation Direct PS5 restocking works a little differently from other retailers. At the start time, there is a home page with a countdown timer showing when the queue will start. You can stay on this page and when the time is up the website will start putting people in line to buy a PS5. The page will update and say how long you’ll have to wait, but that’s not a guarantee. To increase your chances, once you’re in a queue, share the link with your other devices like your phone. Make sure that each device uses a different IP address (for example, having your phone on its mobile plan while your computer is using your home Wi-Fi). This may improve your odds, as your other device may be placed in a different row that is moving at a faster rate. Even if you don’t get a PS5, as mentioned earlier, you can still get a pass to buy one on the next tour.
What are some helpful tips for buying a PS5?
Big retailers like Walmart, GameStop, Amazon, Target, and Best Buy typically don’t give much notice before a restocking. Sometimes they will have a restock in the morning, other times in the afternoon and in some cases even in the middle of the night. Here are some tips to help you get the better of the competition.
First tip: don’t wait to see an alert for a PS5 inventory drop. Check out the links at major retailers for stock updates daily or even multiple times a day. (We’ve lined them up below.) If you’re having some PS5 availability, go for as many browsers and devices as possible. On a desktop computer, for example, open the retailer page in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Then do the same on your phone and tablet. The more devices and browsers there are, the better. It’s like with lottery tickets: the more you have, the better your chances of winning.
Second tip: Create accounts at the various retailers and make sure you’re already signed in if you’re going to try and get a PS5. Make sure all of your shipping, billing, and payment information is up to date on any device you can buy on, whether it’s laptop, desktop or a phone. This makes verification much faster which is crucial as retailer sites get bogged down quickly causing people to lose their chance to get a PS5.
Third tip: keep reading this article and follow CNET and Oscar González on Twitter for updates.
How do I preview a PS5 replenishment?
It has already been explained that one of the best ways to make sure that a console is ready to buy immediately is to make sure that you have created an account and are logged in, but there is another way to skip the line a bit. While most retailers are very keen on you showing up when something is marked in stock, the prolonged difficulty in obtaining a PS5 has encouraged GameStop to offer early access to sales for its paid members.
If you want to increase your chances of getting a PS5 from GameStop, all you need to do is sign up for the PowerUp Rewards Pro program. This is a subscription program that GameStop has had for years, and it uses this program to offer discounts and promo codes as well as a subscription to Game Informer magazine.
This program costs $ 20 per year, and if GameStop lives up to its promise, people in that program can get a PS5 before it’s available to everyone on the website.
Where can I buy a PS5 if I’m willing to pay extra?
If you’re starting to crack up and are considering buying a PS5 right now (and we know that with the number of big PS5 games on the verge of dropping over the next few months, the pressure is on) you can do it, but at the cost of a lot of markup on sites like eBay or StockX. On eBay, for example, we’ve seen PS5 units priced over $ 1,000, although prices have slowly come down to around $ 700.
Where to buy a PlayStation 5
See the step-by-step instructions above for more information on how to queue for PS5 availability on Sony’s PlayStation Direct.
You can check out Amazon’s page for the $ 400 digital edition via the button below, or, if you prefer, line up for the PS5 with Blu-ray for $ 500.
Best Buy offers the PS5 with Blu-ray for $ 500 as well as the $ 400 digital edition (which you can find by clicking the button below). The retailer also offers a multitude of accessories on its PS5 landing page.
You can check the inventory of the $ 400 digital edition at Walmart by clicking the button below, or you can try snagging the more expensive one. PS5 with Blu-ray for $ 500.
Target offers the PS5 with Blu-ray for $ 500 in addition to the PS5 digital edition, which you can find by clicking the button below.
Newegg’s PS5 page offers several packs that include additional controllers and games with the console. You can see the different options by clicking on the button below.
If you’ve decided that you just can’t wait another moment for Sony to pull itself together and flood the inventory market, eBay is a shortcut to getting your own PS5 right now. That said, let me reiterate our advice: no PS5 is worth spending hundreds of dollars off the list price, and that’s exactly what you’ll need to do if you’re buying from an eBay reseller. The average price of the PS5 on eBay is around $ 850.
OK, you’ve exhausted all online and physical retailers, and you’ve decided you’re willing to pay over $ 300 to get this puppy soon. As friends, we must tell you: Do not do it. But if you don’t want to listen to us, you might want to check it out StockX, an eBay alternative that has made a name for itself in the aftermarket for designer sneakers and apparel. The last time we checked, the prices of the PS5 were hovering around $ 700.
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This story is regularly updated with the latest PS5 stock news.
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