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We’re now just a few days away from the PlayStation 5 launch on November 12, which will mark the beginning of a new generation of gaming for PlayStation fans. The PS5 and PS5 Digital, which retail for $500 and $400, respectively, first went up for preorder on September 16 and quickly sold out, and finding the systems in stock has been near-impossible in the months since. With launch almost here, fans still looking to secure their PS5 order are likely holding out hope they’ll finally be able to purchase the console on release day. Here’s what you should know if you want to buy a PS5 at launch. Plus, see our PS5 review for more details and our thoughts on the new console.
PS5 orders will be online-only at launch
Sony has confirmed the PlayStation 5 will only be available via select retailers’ online stores on November 12, due to safety precautions around COVID-19. People who have already preordered their PS5 and selected in-store pickup will still be able to do so. “Please don’t plan on camping out or lining up at your local retailer on launch day in hopes of finding a PS5 console for purchase. Be safe, stay home, and place your order online,” wrote SIE Content Communications senior director Sid Shuman in a PS Blog post.
It’s possible that any of the major retailers could have the PS5 in stock online at launch, but timing and availability will, of course, vary widely. You’ll want to be at your computer most of the day, with your payment info on hand, if you want a real chance at snagging one of these consoles for yourself. The PS5 preorder date and time wasn’t announced beforehand, and the console still managed to sell out in less than 10 minutes. Buying a PS5 online on launch day will involve lots of refreshing and a good deal of luck.
Which retailers will have the PS5 on November 12?
Only one retailer, Walmart, has shared concrete info about when you’ll be able to order the PS5 on launch day. Walmart will release PS5 stock in multiple waves on November 12: 12 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM, and 9 PM ET. As usual, stock will be extremely limited, so you’ll want to be ready at your computer at those times. We also suggest creating a Walmart account and making sure it’s up to date with your shipping address and payment info to help checkout go quicker (and minimize the chance of the site crashing on you).
In its Black Friday 2020 ad, Target confirmed it will have the PS5 available to purchase online on November 12, but no restock time was given. Based on the Xbox Series X launch, we expect Target will have the PS5 available around midnight ET on November 12 (9 PM PT on November 11). Orders can be shipped or picked up in-store.
Computer and electronics store Newegg will have the PS5 available to buy online around the same time, at 9:01 PM PT on November 11 / 12:01 AM ET on November 12.
Best Buy has confirmed it will not have any PS5 units in stores throughout the entire holiday season, so you won’t see the PS5 in any Best Buy brick-and-mortar stores until 2021. The retailer would not confirm that the PS5 will be available online for launch day and instead kept its plans vague, saying the PS5 would be restocked online as soon as the store has units available.
Though GameStop hasn’t shared specific launch day plans for the PS5, we expect it’ll appear on the retailer’s website this Thursday as well. You’ll want to be ready at your computer around 9 PM PT / midnight ET on Wednesday night as that’s when GameStop restocked the Xbox Series X at launch. GameStop has confirmed it’ll have the PS5 in stores on Black Friday (November 27) when stores open at 7 AM. All stores will have at least two PS5 consoles, so if you miss your chance to buy a PS5 at launch, you’ll have another chance then, though stock will be extremely limited. We suggest calling your local store for availability.
Amazon, as usual, is the wild card. The company rarely shares plans for when it will restock popular items like consoles, and it’s said nothing so far about when the PS5 might be back in stock.
Of course, you can always find the PS5 and its accessories on reseller sites like StockX and Ebay, but you can bet on paying hundreds above MSRP for the console. For context, resell prices at StockX are currently between $700 and $800, though you can place bids for less. Still, if you’re desperate, that’s always an option, and the site has plenty of stock.
We’ll update this story on launch day as we track PS5 availability, but for now you can check and bookmark the major retailer listings below.
Where to buy the PS5
Where to buy the PS5 Digital Edition
Where to buy PS5 accessories now
The Pulse 3D wireless headset was the first PS5 accessory to sell out at major retailers, and the media remote and DualSense charging station are proving popular as well. We do expect all PS5 accessories will see a restock on launch day as well. For now, check out where you can snag all the PS5 accessories currently in stock below, and don’t wait too long if you’re considering buying–we expect it’ll all sell out eventually.
$70
The standalone PS5 controller is available to preorder for $70 now. The DualSense controller features haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, a rechargeable battery, a built-in mic, light bar placement on either side of the touch pad, and more. Check out our PS5 controller overview for more details on all the new features and changes.
$60
The PlayStation 5 HD Camera features dual 1080p lenses for broadcasting gameplay moments. It’s available to preorder for $60.
$30
If you plan on using your PS5 to stream movies and TV regularly, you might want to consider picking up a media remote for easy browsing. The PS5 media remote costs $30.
$30
There’s nothing worse than picking up a controller to find it’s completely out of battery, but that issue is easily solved by a controller charging station. The PS5 DualSense charging station can hold two controllers and costs $30.
$100
The new Pulse 3D wireless headset for PlayStation 5 features 3D audio support and dual noise-canceling microphones. It sells for $100 but was sold out at all major retailers as of our last update.
Where to buy PS5’s biggest games
Quite a few PS5 games are up for preorder now, including launch titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls. Check out some of the biggest PS5 games available to preorder below. Keep in mind that many PS4 games come with free next-gen upgrades and are currently discounted, making them the better deal.
