It is almost the middle of February and the PS5 refueling situation for 2021 is still not good. The new PlayStation console has been extremely difficult to find in stock since the time pre-orders were opened, and while some expected the new year to make the PS5 easier to find in stock, that simply was not the case.
In a recent earnings report, Sony confirmed that it sold 4.5 million PS5 consoles from October to December. The company acknowledged the current shortage of PS5, but promised to “do everything in our power” to make more PS5s available to consumers, adding that it is on track to sell 7.6 million PS5 units during its first fiscal year. However, the stock situation on PS5 is unlikely to improve until this summer, at the very least. Microsoft recently admitted that Xbox Series X inventory will be limited at least until June, so we expect the same to be true for the PS5.
Despite these facts, you are not completely out of luck on PS5. While it remains difficult to buy the PS5 in the coming months, retailers are still offering sporadic online replenishments, and PlayStation Direct occasionally opens its queue for the PS5 as well. Usually, no advance notice is given, so the PS5 game is all about keeping an eye on Twitter (and, of course, stories like this) for news of the latest refueling. There are many reports that tweet as soon as the PS5 is found in stock. We recently saw several refills from major retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and GameStop, including the biggest refueling we’ve seen since Black Friday in late January. Last week, Walmart offered the PS5 and PS5 Digital in a series of consecutive restocking, although each sold out in the blink of an eye. Generally, you will have better luck with refills that are not announced in advance, but of course, they are also more difficult to track.
We continue to update this guide as PS5 units go on sale – just be aware that if you want, you will have to be quick and potentially open to buy a package with games and accessories that you may or may not want. If you want to buy a PS5 relatively soon, this is the kind of concession you need to make. Third-party sellers like StockX are also options, although we recommend waiting to buy the PS5 at the list price (not hundreds above the list price).
Where to buy the PS5
PS5 availability on PlayStation Direct
PlayStation Direct regularly opens a queue for buyers to purchase the PS5 (and anything else on the original site), but it usually takes more than an hour to wait and it is not clear whether the PS5 is still available. Still, it is worth checking PS Direct frequently, as it is the only store that still releases PS5 regularly. However, the queues also appear to be somewhat random.
Note that finding a queue on PS Direct does not necessarily mean that the PS5 is in stock; it simply indicates high traffic to the store. It costs nothing to get in and wait if you find the queue and stay at the computer for a while, but be aware that there is no guarantee that it will be in stock when you pass.
PS5 availability on GameStop
GameStop replenished the PS5 on January 27; however, the PS5 and PS5 Digital edition were only available in expensive packages. This has been a relatively common occurrence at GameStop.
PS5 availability at Walmart
Walmart had the PS5, along with other state-of-the-art systems, on its website on February 4. Like other Walmart replacement systems, more systems were made available every 10 minutes, giving customers countless chances of getting one, but they ran out ridiculously fast. Refueling was announced about an hour in advance, giving buyers (and resellers) time to prepare.
PS5 availability at Best Buy
Best Buy’s last refueling of the PS5 was on January 22 – this marked the second day in a row that Best Buy refueled the PS5 on its website, but has been quiet since then. Best Buy did not have any stock on store shelves for the entire holiday period, but the retailer stated that consoles will be available in stores in 2021. We suggest checking with your local Best Buy store for availability.
PS5 availability on target
Target’s most recent refueling was on February 2. Both PS5 and PS5 Digital were available, but only for pick-up in the store. We also suggest calling local stores to check availability. This is just the second PS5 refueling we’ve seen at Target since launch.
PS5 availability on Amazon
Amazon has been the least trusted retailer when it comes to PS5 refueling – we’ve barely seen the next-generation console in stock since launch. The most recent replenishment of Amazon PS5 happened on January 21. We only saw the $ 500 disk drive version in stock, and it quickly disappeared.
Where to buy PS5 accessories
The Pulse 3D wireless headset has been the most difficult PS5 accessory to find in stock, and was the first accessory to be sold at major retailers. Replenishment has been showing up periodically for the past few weeks, although it is still not an item that you can safely buy at any time. However, there are still several excellent headphones that you can purchase to accompany your new PS5. Our favorite is the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro wireless headset; other great options include the SteelSeries Arctis 1 and the Astro A50. Any of your existing PS4 headphones should work, too.
Other official PS5 accessories, such as the media remote control and the DualSense charging station, are also proving popular and remain out of stock with occasional refills.
See more PS5 recommendations:
Where to buy the biggest PS5 games
Several PS5 games are available now, including release titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls. Keep in mind that many PS4 games come with free, state-of-the-art updates with discounts since launch, which makes them a better deal than buying PS5 versions right away.