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Table of Contents
Why Are PS5s So Hard To Find?
How To Increase Your Chances of Buying a PS5
The Best Places To Buy a PS5
Getting your hands on a PS5 is a Herculean feat in and of itself. With so much demand and so little supply, it’s safe to say the PlayStation 5 is one of the most sought-after video game consoles of all time. There’s a good reason for that: Sony’s lineup of first-party titles boasts some of the best in gaming history. Combined with the ability to revisit old classics through backward compatibility and PS Now, and you’ve got a PlayStation fan’s dream machine.
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Why Are PS5s So Hard To Find?
Any console is tough to get your hands on at launch, but it’s been over a year since the original launch of the PS5. However, the COVID-19 pandemic created numerous obstacles and delays in the shipping and manufacturing sectors.
ps5-models
As a result, Sony couldn’t get enough of a specific kind of chip to manufacture greater numbers of PS5s. Even those that were made and shipped often spent weeks or even months in storage while shipping issues were resolved.
As a result, the demand is still high (and growing higher all the time as new PS5 games come out like Horizon: Forbidden West), but supply can’t keep up. It’s not hopeless, though: plenty of people still buy PlayStation 5s. You just have to know when and where to look.
How To Increase Your Chances of Buying a PS5
There are two things that impact your chance to get your hands on a console: speed and opportunity. You need to be aware when restocks happen so you can jump on the chance to buy the system, and you need to move through the checkout process fast enough that you don’t lose your shot to someone else.
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Make sure you are logged in to whatever retailer you’re buying from. Line up your payment information and make sure all of the shipping information is correct. If one-click buy is an option, enable it. You will have seconds to buy when the restock happens; most sell out in under a minute, and often in less than 30 seconds.
As for knowing when the restocks come in, many retailers will announce ahead of time when consoles will be in stock. Otherwise, you can turn to social media platforms like Twitter. There are accounts dedicated to sharing news of PS5 availability. Follow these accounts and turn on notifications so you know when they post. Again, be prepared to act fast. As much as you want a PlayStation 5, so do a lot of other people, and you’re in competition with all of them to buy from a limited pool of consoles.
The Best Places To Buy a PS5
The PlayStation 5 is available at most major retailers, but not in equal amounts. Here are your best options for finding a PS5.
PlayStation Direct
PlayStation Direct is the most reliable way to get your hands on a PlayStation 5. It’s not guaranteed, but it removes at least part of the process: the rapid refreshing of websites and the crossing of fingers that the traffic doesn’t crash it.
PlayStation Direct lets you buy directly from Sony. In most cases, you’ll sign up and be placed at random in a queue. When your number comes up, you’ll be notified and given a set amount of time to complete your purchase.
PlayStation Direct removes some of the variables from the process, and it does work (that’s actually how I bought my PS5.)
Playstation Direct PS5 listing
Buy: PlayStation Direct $499.99
Amazon
Amazon is probably one of the best places to buy a PS5, but it’s also one of the most popular retailers in the world. When consoles do come into stock, they fly off the virtual shelves before you can blink.
The upside to this is that Amazon has frequent restocks, and has had ever since the PlayStation 5 first launched. Keep an eye out for stock alerts and jump on the chance when it arises.
Amazon PS5 Listing
Buy: Amazon