Resellers Are Ruining Things For Everyone
Resellers bear the brunt of the blame for why you can’t find a PS5, and although they aren’t the only reason , they’re a contributing factor. People buying from eBay and StockX don’t help either.
The most insidious resellers are able to ping retail websites every few seconds to see if there’s a restock with bots, scoop up the inventory either through automation or a manually checkout, and take consoles away from everyday consumers. They are then able to resell the PS5 for around $1,000, doubling their money.
Our Best Tips To Get A Console
After several weeks of this new subscription system rolling out across GameStop, Best Buy, Walmart and even Amazon in some cases, the one thing we can say is that it’s still not guaranteed you’ll get a console through these services. The queue fills up fast, and consoles stay in stock for only a few minutes in most cases. Every time a PS5 restock happens, social media fills with people describing how they experienced glitches in the process and how the consoles ended up being gone entirely.
It’s unreasonable to sign up and pay for every service, but that’s where we can help. We’re constantly tracking the best way for you to get your hands on a PS5. And we’ll explain below what you can do to increase your odds before the buy button lights up.
How To Buy The Ps5 In The Next Two Months
PS5 demand is dipping ever-so-slightly worldwide, and more people have been able to check out of online stores in the US and UK, according to our analysis. One of the secret reasons is that some â not all â stores are becoming better at reigning in resellers and bots.
We’ll continue to offer expert advice on how to buy the PS5 between now and the end of 2021, but we’re giving everyone fair warning: between now and the start of October is your best chance to purchase the Sony console.
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Supply Chains And Bottlenecks
Instead, there’s a tangle of reasons for low Xbox Series X and PS5 stock. Chief among them would be, unsurprisingly, COVID-19. The pandemic has ravaged many industries, leading to upset production. This is definitely the case for PlayStation. As Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan mentioned in a recent GQ interview, coronavirus means that “supply chains become a little more complicated than would normally be the case.” The transition to an unprecedented online distribution model hasn’t helped either.
However, the current semiconductor shortage may be the biggest roadblock facing PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Wondering why that matters? It’s because these tiny chips prop up the electronics industry. They’re used everywhere you’ll find them in smartphones, TVs, cars, washing machines, graphics cards , and, of course, games consoles. With that in mind, supply bottlenecks have wreaked havoc on how many PlayStation and Xbox systems can be made. Indeed, the situation has grown so dire that it will be investigated by the US government after a plea from Sony, Apple, and other market leaders. Although we can’t be sure about how much it’s affected PS5 and Xbox Series X stock, it’s certainly had an impact that we’re paying for now.
Why Is It So Hard To Find A Ps5 Or Xbox Series X
How long is it going to take?
Originally released near the end of 2020, the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles are coming up on their one-year anniversaries. However, even after a year on the market, many gamers are still having trouble getting their hands on one of these machines.
At the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic picked up and is still affecting the world well into 2021. Because of the pandemic, life changed on a global scale involving trade and business. While many organizations and businesses struggled, people had to transition their work and leisure lives to staying at home.
From computer components to game consoles, smartphones, televisions, cars, and even appliances like washing machines, so much technology today relies on specific computer chips. As the pandemic affected companies and the demand for new technology skyrocketed, chip manufacturers could not keep up with the demand.
As many gamers know, computer parts and game consoles have not gotten any easier to obtain late into 2021. While stores such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Gamestop come into limited stock every now and then, issues with scalpers buying up as many consoles as possible to later resell for a profit also contribute to the shortage.
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Unprecedented Demand For The Ps5
Even if PS5 production was running smoothly, you’d still have a hard time getting your hands on the elusive console because of the extreme demand that’s been rampant since the PS5’s launch.
PS5 sales have been boasting some very encouraging figures for Sony, despite console shortages, with Sony selling 2.5 million PS5 consoles on launch day, equating to double that of the PS4 on its launch day.
In a time when most people are staying at home whether or not they want to, eager to get their hands on the latest entertainment devices, the PS5 has seen astronomical levels of hype and demand from gamers all over the globe.
This level of excitement, despite dipping a little since launch, is still incredibly high several months later. There are multiple discussion threads and PS5 stock accounts on social media dedicated to alerting eager gamers of the latest PS5 stock drops, with rumors galore feeding the commotion.
This means that when Sony drops the meager stock allocations of PS5 consoles, they are all snapped up within minutes, though that’s not all because of gamers…
Ps5 Restock: Consoles Confirmed At Walmart For Everyone Today
Sony released the highly coveted PlayStation 5 more than a year ago, but the latest Sony gaming console remains one of the hardest-to-get items this holiday season.
Celebrities like Michael B. Jordan and Naomi Osaka got their hands on the PS5 before the thing was even available in stores. For the rest of us, finding a next-gen console of our own is still a challenge.
But good news for gamers this week — Walmart has confirmed a PS5 restock set for today at 3 p.m. ET . So, cross your fingers and check out more information on the stock update below. The Xbox Series X is also being restocked at Walmart at the same time today. Today, both restocks are open to everyone, so a Walmart Plus subscription is not required to shop the PS5 or Xbox.
Walmart‘s latest PS5 restock is likely one of the best ways to get a PS5 before Christmas. The next announced PS5 restock is coming tomorrow at PlayStation Direct, Sony’s online store, but shoppers who received an email invitation from Playstation Direct will have first access.
If youre wondering why the PS5 is so hard to get for us non-famous folk, in short, its because of the pandemic-induced global chip shortage and an increased demand for entertainment tech for those who were stuck at home for the better part of two years. And its not just gaming consoles that are hard to find there’s a squeeze on chip-equipped items from cars to refrigerators to smartphones.
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Why Is Sony Not Making Enough Ps5 Consoles
Its not that Sony doesnt want to make more PS5 consoles available of course it does, with such high demand but it physically cant. As mentioned above, the PS5 has been impacted by the global semiconductor shortage. The PS5 runs on chips from AMD.
AMD doesnt manufacture the chips itself, it merely designs them, and like many other semiconductor companies, it outsources the manufacturing to companies like Taiwan-based TSMC. Sony isnt the only company trying to get its hands on the precious chips, but basically every consumer electronic company too. No semiconductors, no PS5s.
That said, according to Sonys CEO Jim Ryan, we could be about to see more PS5 consoles enter production this summer. Were working as hard as we can to ameliorate that situation, Ryan told Wired in an interview in May. We see production ramping up over the summer and certainly into the second half of the year, and we would hope to see some sort of return to normality in terms of the balance between supply and demand during that period.
For now, well just have to wait. Well keep on checking on stock and updating our PS5 tracker page with future drops whenever we find out more information.
While you wait for the PS5 to come back in stock, check out our round-ups of the best PS5 games and the best PS5 accessories
The Electronic Chip Shortage
Since the start of the pandemic, there’s been a global shortage of semiconductor chips, which are used in pretty much all things electronic. With that, many industries have been facing supply chain disruptions throughout the pandemic, including the gaming industry.
Because of the lack of semiconductor chips available, companies are stockpiling as many as they can and prioritizing other electronic products ahead of the PS5 in terms of chip allocation.
This all results in Sony producing a limited number of PS5 consoles at any one time, forcing it to drip-feed any stock it has, meaning it can’t meet the demand from consumers.
And, unfortunately, as long as there’s a chip shortage, you’ll find a shortage of PS5 consoles.
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How To Buy A Ps5 Or Xbox At Walmart This Week
To give you the best chance of getting a PS5 or an Xbox when they become available on December 8, at 12 PM ET/ 9 AM PT, you need to be a paid Walmart+ member.
There is still hope if you want to get a PS5 before Christmas 2021. So check out the next Walmart drop, but we’ve also included all of our top tips on how to secure the console right here. For now, our first suggestion is following on Twitter for instant PS5 stock updates.
Have you played PlayStation 5?
Why Is The Ps5 Out Of Stock
Theres a number of reasons why the PS5 is always out of stock, but it all stems from the same source: the Covid-19 crisis. The PS5 launched in the middle of a global pandemic. When the manufacturing industry shut down and snapped production supply chains.
But while household appliances and rolls of tissue paper eventually came back into stores and onto shelves, the PS5 has proved a different beast entirely.
Not only did the pandemic see production lines shut down and manufacturing slow to a snails pace due to social-distancing measures, it also saw people stay at home. By November, the banana bread had all been baked and the Joe Wicks PE mania had come to an end, and all people wanted to do was sit in their pants and play games on Sonys new console. Demand was through the roof at the same time that every part of the world suffered a shortage in semiconductors, delaying the production of consumer electronics even further.
Couple that with issues in distribution and you have the recipe for what you see today. To make matters worse, the Ever Given cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal a high-traffic waterway responsible for a large portion of the direct shipping between Europe and Asia for a week. A reported $9.6 billion worth of goods was being held up in the canal each day.
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You Can Purchase The Best Ps4 Games At Huge Discounts
Instead of spending $400-500 and a lot of time and effort on trying to buy a PS5, now is the best time to play all the games you’ve missed out on over the years in their best state and lowest price.
For example, if you have a PS4, there are so many great deals at both retailers and PlayStation’s own PlayStation Store, with “Game of The Year” editions bringing you the fullest version of that game.
Besides the all-time low prices you’ll find for these games, there’s also Sony’s Play At Home initiative, bringing you a series of free games and entertainment offers each month through to June.
Up to May 14th, you’re able to grab one of last-gen’s best games, Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition for free, to keep forever once you’ve downloaded it.
The Pandemic Ushered In ‘work From Home’
This is the new normal of working, but manufacturing a physical thing is not that feasible.
We can see the shortage because of all the core teams sitting in front of webcams that also caused the Laptop demand surge and issues with their availability affecting PS5 production.
The new normal caused delayed assembly and played a role in causing chip shortages too.
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The Ps5 Isn’t Worth It Right Now But The Ps4 Might Be
It’s frustrating that several months after its launch, the PS5 is still an incredibly hard console to acquire.
There’s not much you can do right now besides wind up in endless cycles of despair trying to purchase a PS5. However, this will be over at some point and when that time comes, it will be oh so sweet.
In the meantime, consider catching up on the best games last-gen offers, as well as perhaps picking up a PS4 at its lowest price if you’ve missed out on Sony’s celebrated console.
Why Is The Ps5 So Hard To Find
Gamers who have been religiously hunting down the elusive console often find restocks sell out within minutes, and even those with some of the best methods to alert of sales are coming up empty-handed.
This is mostly due to the continued semiconductor shortage. This chip is used in the manufacturing of the PS5, and there has been a global shortage, affecting industries ranging from video games to medical equipment.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look as though these shortages will improve anytime soon, and according to Tom’s Guide,it’ll be difficult to find a PS5 well into 2022.
I dont think demand is calming down this year and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldnt be able to catch up with demand, Hiroki Totoki, CFO of the Sony Group, is reported to have said during a private briefing, per Bloomberg.
Tom’s Guide reports that Sony has considered altering the PS5’s design to accommodate the shortage, though it’s currently unclear if it will decide to move forward with a different design.
“Were aiming for more sales volume than the PS4 . But can we drastically increase the supply? No, thats not likely,” Hiroki said of the PS5’s second-year sales, per VGC. The shortage of semiconductors is one factor, but there are other factors that will impact on the production volume.
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It Will Be Hard To Find A Ps5 Over The Holidays
As Bloomberg notes, Sony was planning to build more than 16 million PS5 consoles during its current fiscal year, which began in April 2021 and ends in March 2022. The company’s sales goal for that same period was 14.8 million units. Now, in light of supply constraints and logistical issues, Sony is dropping its assembly target down to 15 million PS5 consoles. Selling 14.8 million by March will be tough. It also exhibits just how much trouble Sony is having when it comes to producing consoles.
Bloomberg’s report also relays recent comments from Sony’s chief financial officer, Hiroki Totoki. On a conference call in October, the executive said that parts shortages and logistics problems had become more severe. He admitted that PS5 sales were not as strong as the company had expected them to be. He also reminded investors that he had warned them that a new wave of infections would impact the company’s ability to obtain the necessary components for the console.
For months, the PS5 was on pace to be Sony’s best-selling console of all time. In July, Sony announced that it had already sold 10 million consoles. That was the fastest any PlayStation had ever reached that mark. In the months since, it has fallen off that pace and is now behind the PS4.
The State Of Ps5/xbox Series X Restocks In 2021
In the beginning of 2021, there’s been quite a few next-gen consoles restocks, but it’s still the same story as what happened late last year. Scalpers and resellers continue to reap the benefits of setting up infrastructure to snag all stock from online retailers, as soon as it goes live. It is steadily getting easier for consumers to find PS5/Xbox Series X consoles, which will undoubtedly continue to improve as the year goes on, but it may not be for a while. Much like Nvidia graphics cards, PS5 consoles may continue to sell out until spring 2021. So long as scalping groups like “Carnage” exist, who recently “acquired” 2000 PS5 consoles, this problem isn’t going to disappear any time soon.
Scalpers and resellers working unchecked continue to profit off of private selling income, and unfortunately, people are falling prey to it. It’s gotten to the point where game sales themselves are nominally affected by purchased consoles without any purchased games. Even the most recent restocks at retailers like Walmart have sold out instantly, despite blocking millions of bot accounts attempting to buy up consoles. This week may even yield a more recent example, as Target is rumored to be planning a restock of consoles this week. Trying to purchase a PS5/Xbox Series X throughout the next month or two is still going to be very difficult.
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