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It goes without saying that the inventory situation for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 has been quite dire. Not only is the stock severely limited thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but when new consoles are listed they sell out almost immediately. While this makes securing your own console very difficult, it’s not entirely impossible, and the tips in this article can help give you an edge not just to compete with other consumers who are trying to get a console. , but also robot-armed scalpers.
That said, there isn’t a two-way street: getting one of these consoles right now is mostly a matter of luck and being in the right place at the right time. The COVID-19 pandemic is making it difficult to buy a console in-store, where regular consumers have an advantage over scalpers who typically shop online. So, since we are mostly limited to buying online, it means that people who try to buy one without using a bot are starting from a disadvantage.
Personally, I’ve been fortunate enough to acquire a PlayStation 5 during all this mania, so even if it’s difficult, it’s still possible. These tips could help you do the same, or at least help you focus your efforts on improving your chances of getting one.
Find a way to track inventory
If you have a chance to get one of these consoles, you need a way to track the stock first. For me, the most useful tool was NowInStock.net, which has separate trackers for the Xbox Series X / S and PlayStation 5 (as well as NVIDIA’s new RTX 3000 series cards, which are just as difficult to find. find for now).
The key to using NowInStock.net is that you can’t actually rely on the tracker to notify you when something is in stock, because often by the time the tracker is updated with new stock, it’s already depleted. Instead, take a look at the comment sections on these trackers, as there are usually some really helpful people who will post the second a console is back in stock somewhere. NowInStock.com also displays the replenishment history for both consoles, which can be useful in determining what time of day a certain retailer might restock.
You can also use Popfindr to see which local stores in your area have inventory. While these stores won’t sell you a console as a walk-in customer due to the pandemic, Popfindr can still be helpful in seeing when a retailer like Target, which frequently sells consoles online for curbside pickup. rue, has stock and could prepare to post the announcements are back online.
Follow retailers on Twitter
If you want to spread the network as wide as possible, one of the best ways to do that is to follow a number of retailers on Twitter. Walmart, Target, Costco, GameStop, and Best Buy are the big national chains to watch, but it might also be worth following smaller regional chains.
While some retailers have announced when they will open sales – Walmart has done so on a number of occasions – it appears many are restocking without notice, which diminishes the usefulness of following these businesses on Twitter. However, it can still be worth it if a retailer posts a tweet with unexpected reorder information.
Another Twitter account that you absolutely should, always follow and watch is Wario64. Wario64 is the video game offer hunter, and throughout that process they regularly posted tweets about second consoles back in stock. If you aren’t already following Wario64 on Twitter, you should do so right away. If you don’t have Twitter, it’s worth setting up an account just to follow them.
Don’t forget PlayStation Direct and the Microsoft Store
Usually, it seems like the big retailers like Walmart and GameStop are the ones that get the most attention during these out-of-stock times, but I’d also like to remind you that you shouldn’t forget about PlayStation Direct or the Microsoft Store. Buying direct from the companies that make these consoles can often be the way to go, and in fact, I have my own PlayStation 5 on PlayStation Direct.
The good thing about PlayStation Direct is that it uses a queuing system, so if – and that’s always a big ‘if’, keep in mind – you may come to the end of the queue. Waiting while the consoles are still in stock, you don’t have to worry about website outage or transaction failure as much as you would with other retailers. Looking at the inventory history tracker on NowInStock, it looks like a lot of recent Xbox Series X restockings have happened in the Microsoft Store as well, so if you’re not trying to get an Xbox directly from Microsoft, then you miss a lot of opportunities.
Agree with the idea of buying a bundle
To deter scalpers, there are a number of retailers that only offer new consoles in bundles with games, additional controllers, or accessories (sometimes all of the above). The price of these packages can go up to $ 700, $ 800, or even $ 900, and while it can be a tough pill to swallow when you were only considering spending $ 500 on a new console, you can pay more for a package. could dramatically increase your chances of getting a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
While these packages can be pricey, they’re generally not the scam their price tags would suggest at first glance. This isn’t always true, so be prepared to do some quick math to make sure you don’t pay more than you should pay, but the bundles I’ve seen from GameStop, Costco, and AntOnline are reasonably priced. . Since they’re more expensive than stand-alone consoles, bundles don’t sell out as quickly, meaning if you’re ok with buying one, you don’t necessarily have to be. the first in line when a replenishment occurs.
Keep checking store listings even after a console is depleted
If you’ve been trying to get a console from a place like Walmart, you know the available stock usually runs out in an instant. Most people will probably give up after a few minutes of refreshing, but if you wait a little longer you could be rewarded for your patience. A number of these orders will end up being canceled for various reasons – maybe the person who placed the order will cancel it themselves, maybe their payment method was declined, or maybe the retailer decided to cancel the order at random, because retailers are not. make.
The point is, sometimes retailers will put these consoles back on sale soon after the initial batch as something of a smaller “second wave”, if you want to call it that. This doesn’t always happen, but it’s worth sticking around for an hour or so after the consoles are sold to see if any canceled orders go back on sale.
Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to get a console
This is not a tip, just a reminder that even when you give yourself the best chance of getting a PS5 or Xbox Series X, the point is that it will still be very difficult to get one and it will be. likely to be the case for the months to come. Expect all listed stocks by Christmas to sell out in the blink of an eye. Don’t count on being able to buy one, no matter how well prepared you are. Don’t be frustrated with the lack of stock on hand, because at some point (hopefully in the near future) manufacturing will catch up with demand and you may be able to get one.
That said, I hope these tips help you create a plan of action for landing on one of these consoles in the weeks and months to come. If you’re looking to buy a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X as we wind down 2020 and head into 2021, good luck to you.
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