This story is part of Holiday Gift Guide 2020, CNET’s gift picks with expert advice, reviews and recommendations for the latest tech gifts for you and your family.
We know the problem: You want a shiny new PS5, but you can’t find them in stock anywhere. Here’s the situation: Sony’s PlayStation 5 officially dropped in the US on Nov. 12 with an online-only launch, and it’s been out of stock at all the usual retailers, including Target, Amazon, GameStop and Best Buy. That goes for both versions of the PS5: the $400 digital-only version and the $500 model with Blu-ray are both nearly impossible to get. (If you have good broadband and don’t have a need for optical discs — for Blu-ray movies, used games or old PS4 games — we recommend you go with the $400 one.) And if you’re hoping for new Xbox or Nintendo Switch instead, don’t: those are just as hard to come by.
That said, Walmart has been a ray of light here. The retailer has noted on its website and Twitter feed the specific times when it’s been restocking these game consoles. For example, we know that Walmart will have an online “availability window” for the sold-out Nintendo Switch Black Friday bundle on Wednesday at 4 p.m. PT (7 p.m. ET). And just a couple of hours later, at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET) on Nov. 25, the PS5, the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S are scheduled to be available again for online purchase as well. Best Buy and GameStop are also teasing the PS5 and Xbox for Black Friday week, but without the specifics that Walmart is mentioning.
Good luck with Walmart. And if you would like to spin the roulette wheel with any of the other retailers as well, we’ve pulled together a list of retailers that might restock the PS5 throughout the rest of the year.
Read more at GameSpot: Latest PS5 news and complete coverage
You can check out Amazon’s page for the $400 Digital Edition via the button below, or, if you’d rather, get in line for the PS5 with Blu-ray for $500.
Best Buy is offering the PS5 with Blu-ray for $500 as well as the $400 Digital Edition (which you can find by clicking the button below). The retailer is also offering a slew of accessories on its PS5 landing page.
You can check inventory on the $400 Digital Edition at Walmart by clicking the button below, or you can try to snag the pricier PS5 with Blu-ray for $500.
Target will be offering the PS5 with Blu-ray for $500 in addition to the PS5 Digital Edition, which you can find by clicking the button below.
OK, you’ve exhausted all of the online and brick-and-mortar retailers, and you’ve decided you’re willing to pay upwards of a $300 markup to get this puppy by Christmas. As your friend, we have to tell you: Don’t do it. But if you don’t want to listen to us, you might want to check out StockX, an eBay alternative that made its name in the secondary market for sneakers and designer clothing. Last time we checked, prices for the PS5 were hovering around $820.
First published earlier in the year. Updated with the latest news about the PS5.
More PS5 coverage
Watch this:
PS5 review: full breakdown of all the new features
17:44
CNET’s Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest promo codes from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page.