How to find your PlayStation 5: Tips, retailers, and stock alerts

The latest Sony console It’s a year old, but both PlayStation 5 models have been sold out frequently. Supply chain issues have also contributed to console shortages that have left countless potential customers out in the cold. Speculators armed with robots are taking over new stock in seconds as retailers struggle to get rid of them and give real buyers a chance. If you try and fail to get your hands on it, you are not alone, but don’t lose heart.

We’ve gathered our advice here on which model to buy, whether you need to upgrade now, and where to buy one. We’ve also added some tips to help you get your hands on your P5.

Once you’ve secured your console, check out our guides to the best PS5 accessories, the best PS5 games, and our PS5 tips.

Updated December 2021: We’ve added news about Sony’s restock, GameStop, some helpful links, and a new resource of tips.

Gear Readers Special Offer: Get One-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you wish). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

If you buy something using the links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our press. Learn more.

Which model should you choose?

There are two PlayStation 5 models. The standard PS5 costs $500, while the digital version costs $400. The first has a physical game disc drive and can also play 4K Blu-rays. The digital version ignores the drive, so you’ll have to download all your games. This is the only difference.

While those $100 savings may seem tempting, there are some compelling reasons to buy a PS5 drive. Once the games are out for a while, the disc version is usually cheaper. Plus, you can play old PS4 discs on the new console, and you can resell PS5 game discs when you’re done, which you can’t do with digital editions. That’s it before you even consider the ability to play Ultra HD Blu-ray.

Should you upgrade?

The lack of exclusive games on PlayStation 5 may give you pause. There will likely be PS4 versions available in most of the major titles arriving over the next few months. Don’t feel like you’re going to miss out on the games if you’re completely satisfied with your current PS4.

On the other hand, the PS5 improves on the PS4 in several important ways, and you can get a deeper flavor of what it has to offer in our PS5 review. If you don’t already have a PlayStation 4, the PlayStation Plus subscription for PS5, which gives you access to a library of the best PS4 games like Fallout 4 And God of War As part of your PS Plus membership, this is a must.

Where to buy PlayStation 5

You can buy PlayStation 5 directly from Sony or from a selection of major retailers. We don’t usually know exactly when the new stock will appear, but rest assured there are more consoles on the way. Here are some of the main places to watch: