Best Buy replenishes PS5 and Xbox but sold out within minutes



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Desperate gamers saw a silver lining on Friday, but it was quickly shattered by a digital rush.

Microsoft’s new Xbox video game consoles and Sony’s PS5 have both been out of stock since their launch last November. Anticipation of console upgrades, coupled with the coronavirus pandemic that triggered a gaming boom, has created the shortage and a social media network is keeping gamers up to date on who might be selling the boxes.

Best Buy quickly restocked next-gen consoles on Friday, but they both vanished as quickly as they arrived.

According to Tech Radar, Sony’s PS5 sold out in 29 minutes. CNET reported that Microsoft’s Xbox is also sold out. CNET reported that Best Buy had inventory for the units around 12:30 p.m. ET, but within an hour, a check of Best Buy’s website revealed that both consoles were sold out.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company sees “overwhelming global demand” for the new console.

Xbox Series X (Microsoft)

“[We] are working tirelessly with our manufacturing and retail partners to replenish Xbox hardware as quickly as possible – in some cases more consoles will be available each week depending on the retailer and market, ”the spokesperson told FOX Business.

Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

MICROSOFT COULD FACE THE XBOX SERIES X SHORTAGE UNTIL APRIL

Other retailers have had similar issues with Best Buy. Walmart explained in December a few days before Christmas that it was fighting “Grinch bots”, or computer programs designed to grab these consoles as soon as they go online, then resell them for a profit.

“Bot scripts are constantly evolving and rewritten, which is why we’ve built, deployed and continuously updated our own bot detection tools, which allows us to successfully block the vast majority of bots we see. Jerry Geisler, head of information security at Walmart, wrote in December.

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Twitter accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers have been created to alert consumers when PS5 and new Xbox are in stock.

Besides Grinch bots and the high demand induced by people stranded at home, a global shortage of chips and other manufacturing equipment is also partly to blame.

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President Biden signed an executive order this week to review the chip supply chain and address the shortage.

“These chips are a marvel of innovation and design that powers much of our country, allows a large part of our modern lives to continue – not just our cars, but our smartphones, televisions, radios, medical diagnostic equipment. , and much more, “Biden said as he signed the executive order.” We need to make sure these supply chains are safe and reliable.



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