PS5 restock update: Track today on Twitter, Target, Walmart and more

PS5 restock has been a mixed bag this week. While Best Buy had a surprise PS5 restock on Monday, Tuesday was quiet excluding an overpriced bundle we saw at Urban Outfitters. However, with the upcoming holiday weekend, retailers might sneak in a PS5 restock during their Memorial Day sales. 

So we’re here to help you secure PS5 stock when inventory returns, by tracking rumored PS5 restocks on Twitter and keeping an eye out for surprise PS5 drops from dozens of retailers. We’ve also pulled together a list of the top U.S. retailers, including Target, GameStop, and Amazon that sell the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back often for the latest updates on all things PS5. 

Where to buy PS5: Check PS5 restock now

As of May 26 at 12:50 p.m. ET, there is no PS5 restock available. Best Buy has been the only major retailer with restock so far this week. It might be a pain to seek out, but with games like The Last of Us 2 getting a big performance boost from the PS5, the effort to snag a console is worth it. So to help with your PS5 search, below you’ll find our PS5 restock tracker along with links on where to buy the PS5 right now. Plus, here’s one Tom’s Guide staffer on how I got my PS5 without playing the restock game. 

PS5 restock tracker — retailer links

PS5 restock — latest news and rumors 

PS5 restocks have already kicked off in a big way this week. Best Buy restocked the console on Monday (May 24). The retailer was known for restocks for late-week restocks, so this drop proved once again that any retailer can restock at any time, so you need to be alert! 

Target is the most likely candidate for the next PS5 restock this week. YouTuber and full-time stock tracker, Jake Randall, is tipping Target for a long waited PS5 restock either today (May 26) or Thursday (May 27), which could offer plenty of eager customers the chance to secure a console. 

Amazon and GameStop are also excepted to have a restock in the near future and could drop this week. Walmart could join in on the action, but the retailer’s last restock was a complete disaster. Hopefully, the mega-retailers next drop runs a little smoother. 

In frustrating restock-related news, Sony has confirmed that supply of the PS5 isn’t expected to get any better this year. This would mean restock shortages continuing into 2022. Fear not, however, we’ll be here every single week tracking restocks until the console is available without issue. 

PS5 restock and Prime Day

Prime Day will be here sooner than you think, but don’t get your hopes up too high. Chances are there won’t be any Prime Day deals on the PS5. The console is in such high demand, that Amazon doesn’t have to discount it on Prime Day. That said, it could offer a surprise PS5 drop in the days leading up to Prime Day, so we definitely recommend keeping an eye on Amazon the next few weeks. 

Amazon PS5 restock date 

No one knows when Amazon will release its PS5 consoles for sale — or if it even has any. However, it’s been quite some time since their last PS5 restock. One thing to keep in mind — Amazon restocks tend to sell out in seconds. So you’ll want to try this Amazon trick to increase your chances of getting a console.

Best Buy PS5 restock date 

Best Buy used to offer PS5 restocks on Friday afternoons, but the retailer has been known to restock on Thursdays and even on Mondays. A few things to keep in mind: Best Buy’s drops always occur on afternoons (between 12pm ET and 3pm ET) and they always offer the consoles at list price: $499 for the PS5 and $399 for the PS5 Digital. 

Target PS5 restock date

Target PS5 restock dates have been hard to nail down. That’s because the retailer tends to drop inventory in certain regions. For instance, someone in Chicago could see PS5 inventory at their local store, whereas a New Yorker might not see any inventory whatsoever. In addition, Target tends to do early morning restocks that occur around 8 a.m. ET. That said, their last restock sold out in minutes. 

PS5 restock — Track on Twitter

One of the best ways to find out when PS5 restock hits online retailers is by following the Sony Twitter account. We also recommend following Twitter accounts such as @PS5StockAlerts, @GYXdeals, @mattswider, @PS5Drop and @Wario64, which are often first to have the latest updates on availability. 

Keep in mind that PS5 restock availability can also be regional and limited to select stores. Either way, make sure to keep this page bookmarked and to check the retailer listings regularly.

PS5 restock — Track the retailers

PS5 at Walmart

PS5 at Amazon

PS5 at Best Buy

PS5 at GameStop

PS5 at Target

PS5 at B&H

PS5 at Sony Direct

How to buy PS5: Essential tips 

Multiple sources have reported an Amazon trick that improves your chances of scoring a PS5. We tested this trick four times and each time we succeeded in getting a next-gen console into our cart. (We tested it with an Xbox Series X, but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work with a PS5). Other PS5 retailer tips to follow include: 

Get prepared: Make sure you have all the right payment card details and two-factor authentication available and to hand when you find a PS5 ready to buy. Units can go so fast that if you’re fiddling around trying to find your credit card you could miss your chance to secure a PS5 order.

Select a retailer: As you can see from our list above, there are plenty of retailers to choose from, which can actually make the whole process of buying a PS5 a bit complicated. We suggest you select a couple of major retailers like Walmart and Amazon, and keep an eye on their PS5 landing pages.

Sign up for stock alerts: Plenty of retailers offer to alert you to when they have PS5 restock. We suggest you sign up to those services for the retailers that are offering them.

Find the right product page: It might sound obvious, but make sure you’re on the actual buying page for the PS5 or the PS5 Digital Edition. If you’re on a landing page, you might end up missing the moment new stock arrives.

Sign in to retailers: Make sure you sign in to any retailers you might already have an account with. This will make things a lot faster when buying a PS5 if you spot one on sale. And speed is of the essence today.

Keep refreshing and don’t give up: It can be a little demoralizing trying to find PS5 restock when everywhere looks sold out. But regularly refresh product pages to see what pops up; you might get lucky. And also keep checking back here for any PS5 stock updates. 

You can also make it a habit of checking Slickdeals, the online collection of deals that run the gamut from household appliances to gaming consoles like the PS5. The website has a few specific forum threads for everything PS5 that users continue to update. If you follow the thread, head to the last page and keep refreshing to keep up with all the latest news.

It’s also a good idea to check a few of the subscription-based wholesaler retailers like Sam’s Club, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Costco. You do need a paid membership to shop at these retailers, but that means reduced competition to snag a unit there. You may need to pay extra for a bundle, but it’s worth checking out these locations either way. Currently, there are no online listings for these retailers to check, but it may be worth heading to each brick-and-mortar store to try your luck at this point. 

It’s been a fairly difficult process during this console generation to lock in any sort of next-gen purchase. But as we near the holidays, it’s highly likely there will be additional PS5s available for purchase at some point as Sony catches up with those looking to buy PS5s.

PS5 restock — price and discounts

The PS5 with disc costs $499, whereas the PS5 Digital Edition costs $399. Unfortunately, it’s gonna be a long time before we see any discounts on the consoles. However, we have noted some sales on PS5 accessories. Make sure to follow our PS5 deals coverage for deals on everything related to the PS5. 

Where to buy PS5: Avoid the PS5 scalpers

Unfortunately, one of the main reasons for the shortage of PS5 consoles is due to scalpers. These opportunistic people have been using bots to scan retailers for PS5 stock when it becomes available and buy as many of the consoles as they can in one go. 

Once they have the highly-desirable console, they will then sell them for extortionate prices, often for thousands of dollars. Business Insider reported one reseller managed to get hold of 200 PS5 consoles and managed to sell them for more than $40,000. 

While this isn’t illegal, it’s not exactly the most morally sound thing to do. But at least it’s not as bad as some people who’ve been pretending to sell PS5 consoles on eBay by simply posting photos of the console and scamming people to bid for them when there was no PS5 on offer.  

It might seem absurd to buy a PS5 for over $1,000, especially as its launch game lineup isn’t particularly profound. But with the coronavirus pandemic seeing more people staying at home, some PlayStation fans are clearly desperate to get their hands on a new console to keep them entertained. 

We advise you avoid buying from such resellers, fake or otherwise. At $499 the PS5 is still quite an expensive console and it currently doesn’t have a huge library of games. So if you can wait until later this year, you’re likely to have a lot more PS5 games to choose from and Sony should have more consoles available.