Sony Rewards PS5 restock: how it works and how to get stock updates
The race to buy a PS5 next-gen console means stocks vanish as soon as they appear. Today new stock was announced and flew off the shelves. How do you get one?
Besides the coronavirus the world is in the grip of next-gen fever with the new PS5 and Xbox X Series consoles selling out even before they can make it to a shelf. Many gamers were disappointed this holiday season not to find a next-gen PS5 console available after searching high and low. The scourge of bots was responsible for snatching up many the moment stores announced that they had stock.
In the coming months it looks like Sony will be sending out millions more consoles per month. Gamers who want to get their hands on one of the much-desired versions of the PS5, whether the standard model with a disc-reader or the digital-only version, they may want to expand their search to some lesser-known vendors, but be ready to spend more.
Sony plans to ship millions of PS5 units
According to PS5 UK Restock, they have it from Sony that the company will begin shipping many more units in the coming months. Every month until April Sony will ship around 3 million units worldwide.
Sony Rewards: how does it work?
A novel way of getting hold of new stock releases is through signing up to Sony Rewards. The company calls it "a rewards program for those who love entertainment." Download the app throught the Sony Rewards website, and begin collecting points by spending on the things you love the most...entertainment. You can earn points by watching movies, registering discs, and using the rewards Visa card.
You just have to sign in with the same email address for your PlayStation account to get started. Bear in mind that if you're starting from scratch with a new Rewards account, at $569 including controllers, the new generation PS5 digital edition will set you back 56,988 points, which means spending as many dollars...the exchange rate is one point per $1 spent. Purchases are limited to one console per customer.
However, it is a fresh resource for those precious restock releases. So if you happen to have amassed thousands of Reward points already, keep your eye on the restock updates and you could be in luck. Following the Sony Rewards official Twitter account will keep you up to date with the of-the-moment stock releases.
Where else can I find available stock of PS5?
You can spend hours checking retailer websites to see if they have stock, they are the most reliable source but you may still miss stock availability. But there are several secondary sites and "watch" accounts that can sometimes give tips on where restocks might be anticipated. They can also give you a leg up on the competition trying to buy one of these prized PS5 consoles. Some useful sources and tools for tracking inventories include PS5 Stock Alerts, Discord and OctoShop.
PS5 Stock Alerts
PS5 Stock Alerts is just one of several Twitter accounts that notifies followers when stores will restock. If you select the bell-shaped icon after following a Twitter account, you'll get push notifications sent to your phone.
Discord
The American VolP instant messaging and digital distribution platform, Discord, recently received its version of the PS5 stock bot for its servers and users to utilize in the hunt for the next-generation console. The new Discord bot would alert the users via the application's notification features built-in on its application.
OctoShop
OctoShop , a Google Chrome plug-in, shows you retailers with products in-stock for cheaper prices and lets you track out-of-stock items. OctoShop lets you do price and inventory check across all of their supported stores and set notifications to find out when out-of-stock items come back in stock.
Besides the major retailors check these storefronts
For those who don’t have the deep pockets to pay the exorbitant prices that scalpers are asking on eBay, gamers have been finding the next-gen PS5 on the lesser-known Antonline and Newegg.
Antonline
Antonline is a retailer based in Atlanta, Georgia which had a restock on 5 January. Currently it is expected to have more stock soon. The site does a better job at keeping the bots vacuuming up stocks at bay and has been shipping with more speed than some other retailers. However the retailer only offers bundles which often include PlayStation Plus subscription cards, an extra DualSense controller, and a camera.
Newegg
Newegg is based out of California has offered bundles over the past few months but currently doesn’t have any stock.
Major retailers selling the PS5
Costco: (membership-only): PS5 gaming bundle out of stock (the bundle appears to be the only option for buying the console from Costco)
Costco is currently sold out of its stock of PS5 bundles.
GameStop: PS5 and PS5 digital edition both out of stock
GameStop’s last restock was 7 January and happened around 3:30 pm ET, similar to previous restocks. GameStop tends to put several PS5 bundles, standard consoles and digital only PS5s on sale at the same time.
Kohl's: PS5 and PS5 digital edition both out of stock
Best Buy: PS5 and PS5 digital edition both out of stock
Best Buy’s last restock was 7 January but a new restock isn’t expected soon. Those restocks took place at 1:30 pm ET, 12:30 pm ET, and 11:30 pm ET.
Target: PS5 and PS5 digital edition both out of stock
It may be worth getting in touch with your local Target to see if they have any consoles.
Amazon: PS5 and PS5 digital edition both out of stock.
The last major restock on Amazon’s website happened on December 29 and there currently isn’t any information on when the next one will take place. The restocks tend to take place later in the afternoon.
PlayStation Direct: PS5 and PS5 digital edition both out of stock
Recently, the retailer tends to put up new stock at least once a week.