It’s not too late to try to score a PlayStation 5. Here’s where to look for the elusive PS5 in stores and online, as merchandise restocks arrive on PlayStation Direct and Best Buy.
Image: Sony Interactive Entertainment
If you’re still looking for a PS5 for a holiday gift or for yourself, here’s where to look right now.
Finding a PlayStation 5 has been a nightmare since it launched on Nov. 12. Retailers such as Walmart, Meijer, Target and Best Buy sold out fast. Bundles became the way to go, with GameStop, Antonline and Newegg offering bundles starting at $600-plus and even those sold out within an hour or less. PlayStation Direct periodically launches an online queue, but it’s difficult to score a unit as the line usually stays live for only about 20 minutes. This week Sony added a new twist, with the queue beginning about 25 minutes before sales start, and randomizing your place in line. So it does even out the odds a bit.
Amazon has released stock recently, along with Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Sam’s Club. It’s been a couple of weeks of hits and misses for people trying to buy either the digital edition or disc console unit.
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Check websites regularly, use the refresh button
An important way to find a PS5 is to constantly check the main sites that sell the PS5, such as Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Kohl’s, Sam’s Club, Costco, Sony Direct, GameStop and Antonline, and refresh the page frequently.
Target is now released stock of the PS5 online across the US, but the stock is selling out within minutes. Antonline has been restocking bundles but they sell out quickly. Costco and Sam’s Club have been restocking PS5 bundles as well. All of this means that there is PS5 stock out there and so refreshing and paying attention to retailer’s website is the way to go.
Walmart Canada had PS5 units go on sale, but they quickly sold out. Other Canadian retailers also have sold the PS5, but it’s not an option for those in the US to buy from Canada due to customs and such.
There are other places to look for a PS5 right now. Retailers such as GameStop have been offering bundles of a PS5 console or digital edition paired with controllers and games for around $800, and they sell out fast.
Remember to continue to look at Walmart periodically, too. There have been quite a few people reporting walk-in purchases at Walmart during this past week. Earlier this week, one third-party was selling the PS5 for $1,799 on Walmart.com, but don’t opt for that scalper price. If you do opt for a reseller, StockX verifies that the merchandise is authentic and it offers the option to buy outright, or bid on a unit. The price has been dropping slightly on StockX, selling in the mid-$800 range for a disc console and around $775 for the digital edition. A month ago, the units were around $1,000 each.
You can use these direct links to go to the retailers’ pages for the PlayStation 5 digital edition and console version:
Best Buy: PS5 Console and the PS5 Digital Edition
Amazon: PS5 Console and the PS5 Digital Edition
GameStop: PS5 Console and the PS5 Digital Edition
Target: PS5 Console and the PS5 Digital Edition
Walmart: PS5 Console and the PS5 Digital Edition
Follow PS5 social media accounts
Another option is to use social media to your advantage. There are many social media accounts providing regular updates on which retailers are offering potential merchandise drops of the PS5. Employees who work at the stores are leaking information, and shoppers are showing receipts as they find in-store units.
To take advantage of this source of information, find the social media accounts that you find trustworthy and follow them. A quick glance on Twitter has @spieltimes reporting Walmart walk-ins as a reputable source for PS5 units, as well as a possible PS5 queue opening up today on the PlayStation direct store online, and potential stock coming in at Target. Another accurate social account is @PS5StockUpdates.
Whichever option you choose to try to score a PS5, know that you’re not alone. I will keep updating this article with any information I find that might help in everyone’s search.
Details on the PS5
For those new to the PS5 shopping game, there are two versions. There is a $400 digital-only model and a $500 console version. The only differences between the two are that the console edition includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive to allow for PS5 Blu-ray disc games and PS4 Blu-ray disc games, and video from 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays and standard Blu-rays and DVDs.
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