How to buy PlayStation 5
Starting from the end of 2020, the PlayStation 5 , Sony’s awaited 9th generation console , has finally arrived on the market . You have heard that the latter is able to do “magic”, both in technical terms and from many other points of view, for example in relation to the feedback returned by the DualSense controller.
In this context, many fans have “slings” on the console by exhausting the (fairly scarce) initial stocks placed on the market. But I think you have noticed this too. In fact, you’re here now because you’re wondering how to buy PlayStation 5 , right? Then don’t worry: I can give you – within the necessary limits – some “tips” to increase your chances of buying the coveted Sony console.
Going more specifically, in this tutorial I will analyze the situation as a whole, providing you with all the relevant information and analyzing which are the most valid methods to be able to take home a PS5. In short, the time has come to “dive” into the chaos of the current console market. Happy reading and a big good luck on your purchase!
Index
- Preliminary information
- Where to buy PlayStation 5
- How to order PlayStation 5
- How to be contacted in case of availability
Preliminary information
Before going into the details of the analysis on how to buy PlayStation 5 , I think it may interest you to know more about the general situation.
You are probably wondering why it is difficult to find a PS5, given that in the past generations of course at the launch there were not all these problems.
Well, you must know that the production of consoles has suffered several setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this has led to a certain scarcity of the units supplied to the various stores. Furthermore, Sony’s decision to sell the console only online has facilitated the mass purchase of the PS5 by bots controlled by “touts”, that is, by people who have bought large quantities of consoles and then resell them at higher prices ( knowing the great demand and the scarce amount of PS5 on the market).
If you also play from a PC, you will surely have noticed that even video cards are essentially unavailable or, unfortunately, sold at much higher prices than in the past ( stay away from those who make these proposals ). The reason is essentially the same: the production chain is not working at the right pace.
This problem is involving the tech world in general and the “central pivot” lies in the difficulty in finding semiconductors . Not surprisingly, at the beginning of 2021 Jim Ryan , CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, confirmed in an interview that the shortage of stocks is mainly due to this situation.
Obviously the company has a vested interest in ensuring the availability of PlayStation 5 and said it was sorry about the situation, but you understand that the issue is much bigger than Sony. To be clear, NVIDIA (well-known video card manufacturer), TSMC (the largest semiconductor factory in the world) and Intel (well-known processor manufacturer) have stated that these problems are destined to continue over time (probably for a good part of 2022). .
In addition, in the United States of America, President Joe Biden highlighted these problems in April 2021 , saying he wanted to protect the industry and defining the shortage of semiconductors as “an absolute and immediate priority” .
To be clear, for some, semiconductors essentially represent the “new oil”: they are used for practically everything in the tech world, from smartphones to PCs , passing through consoles . The cars ? Even those are involved.
In this chaos, many other factors have been added , which for obvious reasons I am only going to mention (it could be discussed for hours). The completely online distribution model I have already told you about before, the distances with Taiwan (where a large part of the production takes place), the high demand and the competitive gap between the main producers (few companies are at the top) certainly contribute to the situation. not exactly rosy.
In short, between the combination of factors mentioned above and the presence of malicious people , unfortunately the situation is what it is. In any case, I obviously urge you not to buy consoles at a high price at all , since you would “favor” a circle that is detrimental to the consumer .
Furthermore, it is good to buy only from reputable companies , who have a proven track record in handling these situations and are always at the forefront of trying to recover the units and sell them at the right price .
To be clear, the standard edition PlayStation 5 , which has a Blu-Ray player, costs 499 euros . The Digital Edition , which instead only allows you to buy and download games in digital format via the Internet, has an official price of 399 euros .
These are the correct prices: online there are much higher offers, but I strongly urge you not to listen to those who offer you the console with a “surcharge” .
In any case, PS5 is back available almost weekly, even if for a few minutes or a few hours, at various reliable chains and retailers, at official prices. My task, with this guide, will therefore be to direct you to the main reliable companies in our country, in order to be able to buy a PlayStation 5 as soon as possible, at the right price and without nasty surprises.
I know: having to follow some precautions to buy a console may seem “absurd” to you, but we live in atypical times and therefore it is actually good to analyze everything with due attention.
Where to buy PlayStation 5
After having illustrated the situation in general, I would say that it is time to take action, explaining where you can actually find a PlayStation 5 in the ways indicated in the preliminary chapter . Below you can find all the relevant information.
How to order PlayStation 5
Going “to the heart” of the tutorial, I am preparing to carry out an analysis that I generally do not carry out here on my website, but which I consider necessary here.
In fact, I will provide precise information on the main retailers that allow you to buy PlayStation 5 reliably in Italy. I will therefore name the individual chains and e-commerce , as well as insert links to the respective official portals. Of course I will only mention well-known and reputable dealers, who have a long history behind them and can actually allow you to buy PS5 at the right price .
Amazon
Let’s start with the inevitable Amazon . In fact, the well-known e-commerce has two specific pages: the one relating to the PlayStation 5 Standard Edition and the one related to the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition .
I recommend, since on Amazon they can also sell third-party stores, make sure that the console you are buying is sold and shipped by Amazon and that it does not have prices higher than those recommended: you can find all these details on the product page, on the right.
Sony PlayStation 5 – Digital Edition
See offer on Amazon
MediaWord
MediaWorld is one of the best known electronics chains in Italy. It has both physical stores scattered throughout the territory and an online store . At the end of 2020, the official MediaWorld portal went offline due to the high number of people who tried to buy a PS5 .
Precisely because of the high demand, on the official MediaWorld portal the pages relating to the PlayStation 5 console are “hidden” and appear only when the product is actually available. It is therefore not possible to use the classic Notify me button , which generally allows you to obtain information in terms of availability.
The official channels to monitor in the case of MediaWorld are therefore the social ones . In particular, the well-known chain is used to communicate the “restock”, or the arrival of new PS5 units, through its official Facebook page ( here an example post ).
Unieuro
Another important electronics chain to consider is Unieuro . In fact, it is an important and reliable reality. For the record, obviously the official website of the latter also went “haywire” when users wanted to buy PS5 “in bulk”.
In this case, there are specific pages dedicated to PlayStation 5 Standard Edition and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition . Availability is obviously limited, but now you have very specific “ads” to monitor. For the rest, Unieuro also usually communicates the “restock” mainly through its official Facebook page ( this is an example post ).
GameStop
Another important retailer, in this case referring mainly to the world of video games, is GameStop , which you surely know if you are a lover of this sector.
In this case, as happened for MediaWorld, some pages relating to PS5 have been “hidden”. The main channel to take into consideration is therefore the official GameStop Facebook page ( here an example post ), in which all the information relating to the sale of the Sony console is generally provided.
Euronics
Surely Euronics , which has a web page dedicated to PS5 Standard Edition , as well as one dedicated to PS5 Digital Edition , to be constantly monitored to know when the console is back available should also be taken into consideration.
Well: now you have a good number of realities to “monitor” to buy your PlayStation 5 and I’m sure that, with a little patience, you will be able to get your hands on the much coveted console, as they are doing. more and more people as time goes by.
How to be contacted in case of availability
How do you say? During the classic working day you don’t have much time and therefore would like to be notified when PS5 is back available in a particular e-commerce? No problem, I’ll explain immediately how you can do it!
Well, all the realities mentioned in the previous chapter make it possible to prepare in a very simple way for the possible arrival of new units. For example, as regards MediaWorld , as explained by the chain in a Facebook post dated May 5, 2021 , it is possible to “be found” ready by registering in the personal area of the official website and updating shipping and billing data .
This will then allow you to be able to place the order quickly , trying to get there before the others. The advice to subscribe to the website and keep your data updated is obviously valid for all the stores , so as not to have to “waste time” to register when you have to make the purchase.
By switching to Unieuro , however, in this case you can use the Notify availability button (the envelope icon), present on the pages dedicated to PlayStation 5 . You will then be asked to enter your e-mail address , then confirming your choice via the Activate notification button . You will receive an email notification when PS5 becomes available again .
As for GameStop , the company explained, through a Facebook post dated May 5, 2021 , that those who have Level 3 of the GameStop + (GSZ +) card are notified first of all when there are new PS5 units . This can potentially allow you to make your purchase earlier than others.
For all the details of the case on Level 3 of the aforementioned card, you can refer to the official GameStop portal . In any case, the upgrade to GameStop + Level 3 is not free , as it generally costs € 16.98 .
For the rest, this level also includes other benefits , such as exclusive promotions , preview news , 10% extra evaluation on used items , 10% discount on the purchase of used games and accessories and an unspecified birthday “gift”. .
Euronics, on the other hand, has a notification method similar to that of Unieuro: just connect to the pages dedicated to PlayStation 5 and press the NOTIFY ME button , then enter the e-mail address and follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Finally, as regards Amazon , it is possible to reach the pages relating to PS5 , press the Add to List button and follow the instructions . By doing this, you will be able to track the products more easily.
For all the case details on this possibility, you can refer to my guide on how the Amazon wishlist works . Of course, always pay attention to the issue of resellers , as I indicated earlier.
Finally, I want to clarify that the situation is constantly updated and the aforementioned retailers could therefore make changes to the methods to buy PS5 or receive notifications.
What I can do is suggest you take a look at all the reported pages and follow the news related to PS5 on the sites of the sector, which often promptly notify the availability of the console on the various e-commerce sites.