How to get a PS5 on launch day

The PlayStation 5 is finally releasing this Thursday, and if you’re planning on camping out in front of your local big box retailer to try and get your hands on one, I’ve got some good news (ish). The PS5 will not be available in any physical store on launch day. As reported on the official PlayStation blog, the console will only be available for purchase online. If you’ve been successful in pre-ordering a PS5, don’t worry – you can always pick up yours in store according to the retailer’s security protocols.

Photo by Dorian Parks

Look, I said the news was good, because it means you won’t have to fight in a ridiculous crowd while we’re still stuck in the midst of the worst pandemic in 100 years. You can sit in the comfort of your own socially remote home and keep clicking that refresh button to try and have a PS5 delivered right to your door. However, as anyone who has tried pre-ordering the highly anticipated next-gen console already knows, trying to get one online is an extreme pain. (After pressing Refresh over and over for 30 minutes, I was able to enter my payment information before my PS5 disappeared from my cart. It’s no fun.)

That said, all major retailers will have consoles in stock this Thursday, so in the interest of the public service, I’ve put together a number of links to buy the PS5 below. And if you don’t manage to get one this week, don’t be too disappointed – major retailers will continue to have consoles in stock throughout the holiday season (especially around Black Friday), so keep trying. your luck. Walmart said it will roll out its stock Thursday at 3-hour intervals, starting at 9 a.m., with new waves airing at 12 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. PT. As of this writing, it’s unclear when other major retailers will have their stock of PS5s available, but it’s highly likely to tune in early Thursday morning and cool off throughout the day. If you manage to get a console, check out our reviews for Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Assassins Creed: Valhalla to find out which games you should choose to try it out.

Here’s where to look for a PS5 on Thursday:

Amazon PS5 / PS5 digital

Best Buy PS5 / PS5 digital

Gamestop PS5 / PS5 digital

Digital PS5 / PS5 target

Walmart PS5 / PS5 digital