Well, fortunately there are several tricks you can try to get hold of a PS5 within two weeks. While it is no guarantee, there’s no harm in following these steps.

What’s Causing the Shortage?

Myriad issues currently plague the PS5 supply chain. The primary causative factor, however, is the prevailing microchip shortage that began at the beginning of 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic, which caused a surge in demand for video game consoles and laptops which rely on them, exacerbated this shortage. Emergent work-from-home dynamics and lockdown measures, which constrained many people to their homes, increased console demand even further.

At the same time, chip manufacturers in China, Taiwan, and Japan cut back operations because of lockdown and social distancing rules. The new regulations impelled most chip manufacturers to shut down their facilities temporarily.

Pandemic factors aside, the current shortfall is also being amplified by the fierce competition between PS5 resellers (scalpers) who have deployed legions of bots programmed to scan and purchase PS5 units listed on retailer stock pages. The resellers can grab many consoles as soon as the appear online. They then resell the units at a premium.

How to Get a PS5 Console

The following guide outlines a few little-known tricks that might help PS5 fans get ahold of the new console amid the scarcity.

1. Set Up Accounts with Major Retailers

PlayStation Direct is also a good place to start. A PSN account is, however, required to make a purchase. The platform usually has a queue and gives VIP clients priority.

As a standard member, you will need a few tricks to be successful. Among them is reloading and refreshing the listing page constantly. If you don’t do this, you will see the error message, “You cannot purchase these items at this time.”

Constantly refreshing the page causes the prompt to go away and opens up the chance to get into the PS5 waiting room. You should follow this process immediately after confirming restock reports.

Another trick is to use social media affiliate links. Some PS5 affiliates have been able to exploit the CSS code on retailer websites to allow them to add items to cart once a user clicks on their affiliate link. This saves time when attempting to check out amid immense competition.

2. Follow PS5 Restock Alert Social Media Accounts

There are many PS5 alert accounts on social media. On Twitter, @FatKidDeals @SOLELINKS, and @Wario64 are some of the popular accounts to follow. Additional accounts include @ChitoGaminYT @PS5StockAlerts, @PS5Drop, @RestockOnPS5, @GYXDeals, @PS5StockAlerts, @linuswilson, @YtNextgengaming, @Jake_Randall_YT, @PS5LocationDrop, @realpabgames, @PS5StockUpdates, and @spieltimes.

It is best to set up a dedicated burner account to follow these accounts and receive timely PS5 restock updates.

One can also set up an RSS feed made up of PS5 listing pages. You can connect RSS feeds directly to your email so that it sends an alert each time a product update occurs.

3. Try Buying a PS5 Bundle Instead

PS5 bundles from reputable sites usually sell out at a slower pace because they are a bit more expensive than standard console purchases. Newegg, for example, regularly lists PS5 bundles valued at around $800. The bundle usually consists of the PS5 console, a gaming controller, and several extra games.

So, one way to get hold of a PS5 is to try buying a bundle instead of the vanilla console.

PS5 Sales Won’t Slow Down Any Time Soon

If you’re looking to get your hands on a PS5, then the best course of action is always going to be patience. There is little we can do about scalpers or electronic chip shortages, so your best bet is to wait it out.

Sony hopes that supply will start meeting demand as we roll into 2022. If you’ve been waiting since November 2020 for a console, a couple more months won’t do any harm. In the meantime, try the steps above; you might get lucky.