It’s Christmastime, and people only want one thing in their stockings: the new PS5. The PlayStation 5 is the latest in PlayStation’s series of consoles, and it takes everything from the PS4 up a notch. It’s faster, runs better and has much better visuals. Knowing that the PS5 is the next level of gaming, it’s hard not to want one — and that’s why they’re always out of stock. Here are some ways for you to keep an eye on the PS5 restock market in hopes of purchasing a PS5.
1. Check Sony’s Website
PlayStation’s official website is the best place to get news on when a PS5 restock happens. For this holiday season, PlayStation and Sony are cracking down on scalpers and bots. Instead of hosting a countdown, they allow people to register with them. After a certain amount of time, they’ll select a number of people with email addresses that match an existing PSN account to purchase a PS5.
In doing so, you have the opportunity to purchase directly from the company instead of having to fight others through a retailer. This option is the most stress-free of the possibilities, but it’s also out of your hands. You aren’t guaranteed to get a PS5 this way, nor can you control any aspect of your likelihood beyond signing up.
2. Check With Major Retailers
Once you’ve registered with Sony to claim a PS5 for yourself or someone else, you should check major retailers. These stores will carry PS5s on a semi-regular basis, and many of them restock at different times, meaning you may get lucky and find a store preparing to supply.
You can search anywhere from basic retailers like Walmart to specialized gaming stores like GameStop. Once you know if they’re selling PS5s or waiting for restocks, you can choose to take the next step and check back periodically or get notified to purchase a PS5 in other ways.
3. Sign Up for Notifications
Notifications can make or break your PS5 restock experience. If the retailer you search for allows it, sign up for email or text message notifications so you don’t have to keep checking their website for PS5 information. This way, you should get a notification delivered to your smartphone when restocks are about to happen. It’s easier if you subscribe to news from multiple stores. That way, you can keep track of them all via one device without having to visit various stores’ websites.
4. Make a Plan
Sign up or log into your account ahead of time. When you get to a purchase screen, you may be prompted to log in or create an account to continue with your order. To purchase PS5 consoles without delay, consider signing into your account around ten minutes or so before the PS5 restock happens. Doing so will allow you to have more time to snag a pre-order of the console, and you won’t get tripped up by any additional prompts stopping you from adding the console to your cart.
Make sure you know which retailers are currently selling the console and whether you need to go in person or make a purchase online. If two countdowns are close to one another, consider making a plan to hit both, if necessary. Block out time in your schedule if obtaining a PS5 is crucial to you — the stock won’t wait for you to be free.
5. Consider an Alternative Plan
If you tried all of the above and still haven’t put in a pre-order for a PlayStation 5, consider alternative options. If you plan to give the PS5 to someone as a gift, you have plenty of other choices. For someone who wants to start gaming, you can get them a PS4 instead. This way, they can begin their gamer journey seamlessly.
You could also buy the Nintendo Switch as an alternative gaming system since it’s a popular console right now and it’s portable for kids when they travel. Newer models come with OLED for better visuals and overall experience.
If the recipient already has other consoles, they may be a collector who would benefit from an older console and vintage or nostalgic games to play. By making sure you have an alternative console as a backup, any gift recipient will appreciate the thought and may not mind missing out on a PS5 for now.
How to Purchase a PS5 This Winter
With the holiday season approaching, more people will be watching the countdowns and estimating PS5 restock times. You will run into competition from other people looking for gifts or personal use, but you’ll also find that bots quickly acquire a restock as soon as it’s out. Over 10.1 million PS5 units have been sold since release, and still, more people have yet to receive theirs. With luck and a bit of planning, you can join the 10.1 million other people who have a PS5 this Christmas.