Looking for one of the new systems? Good luck if you didn’t pre-order it. The Xbox Series X/S seem to be easier to come by than the PS5 system (Gamestop had Series X/S bundles for sale on November 24th). Both Microsoft and Sony promise that there will be plenty of systems soon. By speaking with people who work at various stores that sell the systems, they say that come January 2021, there will be plenty of consoles in stock at local retail locations (i.e. Gamestop, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, etc). While this is good news for those wanting to own a PS5, it will be too late for those that wanted it to be “The Christmas” present of 2020.
According to these retail locations, online stock will also be replenished some time between January/February 2021, but how much stock will be available is currently unknown. As recent events have told, any online stock made available could still be cannibalized by scalpers. Walmart in particular has announced the times of most next-gen console restocks, allowing scalpers and their bots to purchase almost every unit in stock, just to sell them later for outrageous prices on eBay, Mercari and even Facebook Marketplace. This has prevented real gamers from getting their console of choice. This is much more prevalent for PS5.
In retaliation, Target and other retailers are no longer announcing the days or times when their websites will be restocked with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles, but they did tell us to keep an eye on their websites between now (the day this article has been published) until the end of December for unit restocks both online and possibly in-store. This is being done so actual gamers can get their hands on the hardware. Not knowing the day or time may seem frustrating, but its better than tipping off the scalpers who have made the next-gen console launches a disaster for gamers.
There have been reports of shoppers lucking out and finding a PS5 and/or Xbox Series X/S in-store, but these were very rare occasions. The best bet anyone has right now to get a next-gen console is during the month of December. The best advice I can offer is to call your local retailer, and check online often between now and the end of the month.
Everyone has a favorite console system and reasons why for supporting it. If for some reason you end up empty-handed (and I hope this doesn’t happen to you), you could always go with a classic and get the Nintendo Switch; at least you know there will always be a couple left in stock!
Danielle Decatur-Pittaro
