PS5: Already more successful than Vita and Wii U in Great Britain

PS5

The Playstation 5 has been on the market for almost half a year. This is definitely important to emphasize again and again, because a look at the virtual shelves of online retailers and the real sales areas of corresponding retailers paint a completely different picture. Getting a PS5 is still a matter of luck this April. It is not for nothing that Sony is currently even considering introducing direct sales to counter the ongoing problem of scalpers who are buying up consoles en masse and selling them again for completely inflated prices.

Despite all these problems, the PS5 (buy now ) to be quite a success for Sony. For example, the console has already broken sales records for Wii U, PS Vita and the Dreamcast in Great Britain. At least that's what Christopher Dring, editor-in-chief of Gamesindustry.biz, announced on his Twitter channel. Now the consoles mentioned are certainly not the benchmark against which a PS5 has to measure itself. All three have suffered very poor sales throughout their lives. Obtaining official figures is not that easy at the moment. Approximate estimates by the portal VGChartz against currently selling around seven million PS5s worldwide.

Recommended editorial content At this point you will find external content from [PLATTFORM]. To protect your personal data, external integrations are only displayed if you confirm this by clicking on "Load all external content": Load all external content I consent to external content being displayed to me. This means that personal data is transmitted to third-party platforms. Read more about our privacy policy . External content More on this in our data protection declaration. The first really noteworthy worldwide sales record would be reached at around 24 million. That's how much the very first Xbox managed to sell. In contrast, it will take a while to match the numbers in-house. Sony's "worst" home console sold is the PS3 with around 87 million units. In order to advance to such heights, however, the global bottlenecks would first have to be removed. We have summarized the current order situation in April for you in an extra article.

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Where to get a PS5: Everything you need to know about buying a PlayStation 5

Since its launch in November, it's been nearly impossible for retailers like Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Amazon and Walmart to keep the PlayStation 5 in stock. For anyone who's been trying -- and failing -- to get their hands on the console, it's no surprise that the PS5 is now considered to be the fastest-selling games system in US history. This is due partly to the pandemic -- demand for entertainment people can enjoy in the safety of their homes is still at an all-time high. 

As of April 9, the PS5's $500 model with Blu-ray and the cheaper $400 digital-only edition with no optical drive are out of stock at every major retailer. If you're willing to pay far above the sticker price, you can get a PlayStation 5 or PS5 bundle at a reseller like eBay or StockX, but our advice is to wait. Inventory drops are starting to happen more and more frequently, so be sure to check back here frequently for the latest updates on when retailers might have inventory drops.

Andrew Hoyle/CNET

You can monitor where the PS5 is available on your own; Twitter, for example, is a good source of restock rumors. But we occasionally get word directly from retailers and tipsters about upcoming PlayStation 5 console inventory restocks, and we update this post immediately. Again, be aware: It likely will be months before anything approximating normal inventory levels appears in stores, so getting your own PS5 is likely to be a challenge until summer, at the earliest. Below you'll find a list of all the major retailers (and a few high-profile resellers) where you can monitor stock and availability. 

More on next-gen consolesPS5 restock options at major retailers

You can check out Amazon's page for the $400 Digital Edition via the button below, or, if you'd rather, get in line for the PS5 with Blu-ray for $500.

When in stock, Target offers the PS5 with Blu-ray for $500, in addition to the PS5 Digital Edition, which you can find by clicking the button below.

You can check on availability of the $400 Digital Edition at Walmart by clicking the button below, or you can try to snag the pricier PS5 with Blu-ray for $500.

When in stock, Best Buy offers the PS5 with Blu-ray for $500 along with the $400 Digital Edition (which you can find by clicking the button below). The retailer is also offering a slew of accessories on its PS5 landing page.

We don't recommend spending more than retail to get a PS5, but if you must have a console right now, eBay is your shortcut to getting a console. That said, expect to pay hundreds over list; the average PS5 price on eBay is about $800. 

If you've exhausted all of the usual retail options and you're willing to pay hundreds over list price, you might want to check out StockX, an eBay alternative that made its name in the secondary market for sneakers and designer clothing. Last time we checked, prices for the PS5 were hovering just below $650. We don't think it's worth it, but let your conscience (and your wallet) be your guide). 

More PS5 coverage

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