PS5 restock: Will the next-gen console be back before Christmas?

Whether it’s COVID-related delays, expert use of supply & demand, or scalpers using bots, Sony’s PlayStation 5 is the hottest piece of tech on the market. It should be on every kid’s Christmas list this year, and many people were unfortunately unable to purchase the next-gen console during preorders, launch weekend, or Black Friday. 

Many blamed scalpers for snatching up all the limited stock Sony had and selling them for double price. According to Business Insider, one group in the UK managed to buy nearly 3,500 units to resell. Before you sell your soul to the devil to make your child happy this Christmas, Sony has announced there will be a restock before the end of 2020.

We want to thank gamers everywhere for making the PS5 launch our biggest console launch ever. Demand for PS5 is unprecedented, so we wanted to confirm that more PS5 inventory will be coming to retailers before the end of the year – please stay in touch with your local retailers.

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) November 25, 2020

The PS5 has been so hard to come by that you might start believing it actually doesn’t exist. Let us start by telling you it’s real – and it’s incredible. While it’s hard to know where to buy, let us be the Obi-Wan to your Luke Skywalker and guide you to where the next restocks are.

Walmart 

According to T3, Walmart drops another PS5 restock on Dec. 3rd on the website at 8am PST or 11am EST. Both the disk ($500) & digital versions ($400) will be on sale. If you were unsuccessful during launch weekend, make sure you set up a Walmart account with your card info, shipping, and billing address, and add it to “save for later” or to your wishlist.

Adding the PS5 to a list or “save for later” section is crucial for any website; the better option is “save for later” because you can go straight to your cart and skip a step in the purchase funnel. Another reason it’s important is because there’s less web traffic if you start in your cart or a list, making it easier to add the console.

Target

Target has not been a reliable retailer for PS5 consoles. According to T3, the retailer has had minimal stock, only available in certain U.S. territories. The big reason is Target is only doing pickup orders. So you’ll have to factor that into if you want to buy from Target. 

GameStop

GameStop released bundles for the PS5 that included games or accessories of what stock they had left, but are currently sold out. There are no bundles remaining, nor are there individual consoles. GameStop has yet to announce another restock or if their next restock will include bundles. We hope for more bundles because there were some sweet deals. 

Our favorite bundle was the Ultimate PlayStation 5 System Bundle. It included a disk console, the new headset, an extra controller, the charging adapter, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Destruction AllStars, and a year of PlayStation Plus for $879.99. Also, stick to online orders. For Black Friday, brick-and-mortar stores only received two consoles each.

Best Buy

Best Buy has quietly gone under the radar this holiday season with PlayStation restocks. They don’t typically announce when they’ll happen, so you’ll have to check every day to see if the website’s been updated. They were the first retailer to release PS5s on Black Friday, so expect Best Buy to separate from the pack. 

Amazon

Amazon did not restock for Black Friday and currently lists both versions as “Currently Unavailable” and “We don’t know when or if this item will be back in stock.” PlayStation’s tweet is promising for an Amazon restock, so don’t let the warnings mislead you. Sony would be foolish not to restock Amazon. However, Walmart has been more transparent about when restocks will happen, and we recommend going there. 

PlayStation

Obviously you can buy a PS5 straight from the source, but their restocks have also been sporadic. With their tweet about an additional restock before the end of the year, you’ll likely see a restock on the PlayStation website before other retailers. 

Here’s another tip: if PlayStation goes back to using a queue, you can see the website a moment before you enter the queue. If you click on “shop now,” you can circumvent the queue. They might have fixed the glitch by now, but if they haven’t? It’s yours to exploit. 

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It’s not worth paying a scalper double for a PS5. Trust us – we got one and love it, but we wouldn’t pay the $1,000+ price tag from a scalper. Continue to check in at your local retailers & their websites every day for their restocks and websites like T3 for updates. If you have tips we didn’t cover, go ahead and let us know in the comments! Game on.