The PlayStation 5 is one of 2020's hottest tech gadgets — but high demand and fast-acting scalpers mean you'll be lucky to find Sony's latest games console.
Sony launched the PS5 to great fanfare in the U.K. on November 19, the same day as many other countries. The highly-anticipated console quickly sold out, leaving buyers scrambling to find retailers ahead of Black Friday sales.
More stock is expected to be on the way. On the official PlayStation U.K. Twitter account, the company wrote that "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."
"We want to thank gamers everywhere for making the PS5 launch our biggest console launch ever," the company wrote.
The situation has reportedly been made worse by resellers snapping up stock. Business Insider reported on one UK-based reseller group, "CrepChiefNotify," which had a total of 2,472 consoles across all its members. That's in addition to just under 1,000 pre-orders. VG247 reports that scalpers on eBay have been selling the console for £990, over double the retail price.
These resellers use automated software to purchase consoles as soon as they come back in stock. These "bots" have been blamed for crashing Walmart's website last week. Scalpers have also hit U.K. sales for the Xbox Series X, Microsoft's next-gen console that launched on November 10.
If you're lucky enough to beat the bots, the Black Friday sales will be an ideal time to upgrade your gaming experience. Retailers are expected to offer big discounts and savings on high-end 4K televisions, home theater systems, gaming accessories, and more that can make the PS5 experience even better. Although the U.K. doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, the next-day American shopping event has become a larger feature for retailers in recent years.
With the PS5 offering support for up to 4K resolutions, with 8K expected with a future software update, Black Friday could be the perfect time to bring out the best from your new console. Also, keep an eye out for ultra-fast 120 frames-per-second sets — a handful of early PS5 titles, like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, support these faster refresh times that could help you get an edge in competitive showdowns.
One of the best resources for finding PS5 stock in the U.K. is with the website StockInformer. This resource tracks stock from major retailers like Amazon, Very, Ebuyer, Game, and more. The site can even send you an email alert when a retailer reports stock, or you can leave the site open to get an audio alert the moment new stock is found.
Another useful resource is PlayStation5Stock.co.uk. Although not as full-featured as StockInformer, lacking features like audio alerts, the site provides an alternative means of tracking stock in case users encounter issues with the first site.
On Twitter, the account @PS5StockAlerts has been sharing updates about when stock has become available in the U.K. and other countries. Users with the Twitter app can set up an alert on their smartphone to get notified as soon as the account makes a new post.
As U.S.-based stores like Antonline add more PS5 stock to their stores, here's what you need to know about finding PS5 stock from U.K. retailers:
Ebuyer PS5 stock in the U.K.
The online retailer Ebuyer has been offering home deliveries for electronics and components for over 20 years. It's an ideal place to pick up a cheap HDMI 2.1 cable to go with your PS5, which can support those higher 8K resolutions and 120 frames per second rates. Indeed, the site recommends a number of options alongside its PS5 listing.
At the time of writing, Ebuyer promises that "more stock is due soon," but also warns that "existing pre-orders are being prioritized, and is allocated on a first come first served basis."
Ebuyer lists the PS5 for £449.98 ($596.13) and the PS5 Digital Edition for £359.98 ($476.90). The site is also offering Black Friday deals on computer components like monitors and external storage, which could prove ideal partners for the new console.
Game PS5 stock in the U.K.
The high street video games store, Game, remains a household name, but the business has faced difficulties in recent times. The firm agreed to a takeover by Mike Ashley's Frasers Group for £52 million ($69 million) last year. Global Data analyst Zoe Mills told The Guardian that Game had agreed to it "begrudgingly."
Game is offering big Black Friday deals, with up to 50 percent off games and accessories. Fans can also receive £5 ($6.60) bonus points when they spend over £50 ($66.20) online. The sales could be an ideal opportunity to pick up some much-needed accessories, like the PDP LVL40 gaming headset for PS5.
The retailer is also offering big savings on PlayStation 4 titles, practically all of which will run on the new console. Some titles, like Watch Dogs Legion, are also offering upgrades with PS5 enhancements when inserted into the new system. Just make sure you don't buy a disc-based game if you're planning to buy the cheaper PS5 Digital Edition.
Unfortunately, Game's website offers no details on its PS5 listings page about when it will receive more stock of the console itself. The retailer's page declares that it is "out of stock," and doesn't offer any clues about when this will change. Its Facebook and Twitter pages also have yet to offer any details.
Keep your eyes peeled, though — Game announced on Tuesday it had received more stock of the Xbox Series X and Series S, only to announce two hours later that it had sold out again of Series X consoles.
Asda PS5 stock in the U.K.
The third-largest supermarket in Great Britain, with a market share just behind Sainsbury's, is unfortunately out of stock on its PS5 listings page.
Its parent company, U.S. retailer Walmart, is expected to receive PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition stock on November 25. That stock is expected to go live at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Unfortunately, while Walmart PS5 stock is on the way, it seems Asda has yet to add more consoles to its online store.
Very PS5 stock in the U.K.
Very, the online retailer which used to operate under the "Woolworths" brand, is offering big Black Friday deals across the whole range. It could be an ideal time to grab a new 4K television, with big savings on sets from the likes of Samsung and LG.
On the store's PS5 page, Very writes:
"Unfortunately we have sold out of our PS5 consoles for now. We have more stock coming so keep checking back for our next drop."
A new release of stock, it seems, could come any time.
Currys PS5 stock in the U.K.
Like the other retailers, Currys is also offering Black Friday deals this week, which amusingly it refers to as "Black Fri-yay."
It's offering discounts on deals on 4K televisions from brands like Samsung and HiSense, which could be an ideal companion when the PS5 comes back in stock.
On the store's PS5 listing page, Currys writes that it is "working tirelessly to secure more stock," advising customers to "please continue to check this page for more updates."
The site was unavailable for maintenance on Tuesday, sparking interest from PS5 fans.
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