PS5 restock: Sony Direct, Antonline, Newegg, and more January 2021 inventory

The right moment to snag a PS5 may finally be here. Fans have been struggling to find Sony's new console since it launched in November, but the company said more models were coming after the holidays. While recent restocks have still been "blink and you miss it" affairs, there's some hope that hunting down a console might be easier soon.

In addition to expected retailers like Amazon and Walmart, fans are now adding some new names to the mix. Newegg and Antonline have both drawn attention recently for some of their PS5 bundles. Considering that the field has opened up, it's a good time to take stock (no pun intended) of where we're at with the PS5 and check in on its status at various retailers.

Popfindr, OctoShop, and other tools to find PS5 consoles

As always, the first piece of advice we give is that you need to have patience and a little ingenuity to find a PS5. Setting up a tracking system can really help give you an edge against others who are frantically searching for consoles. Luckily, there are easy to use and helpful tools out there that can help. We recommend trying PopFindr, which directly checks the inventory of your local stores and then lets you know if anything has changed.

For online shopping specifically, OctoShop is a Google Chrome extension that you can set to notify you every single time the PS5 goes back in stock at your preferred storefront(s). If you'd rather just say up to date on random restocks, you also might want to check out @Wario64, @PS5StockAlerts, the Stock Informer Discord channel, and this article as it is updated throughout the holidays. And if you select the bell-shaped icon after following one of the aforementioned Twitter accounts, you'll get push notifications sent to your phone. Just note that this is how many people are finding restocks at the moment, so setting up your own tracking can give you a very slight edge.

Antonline

While Antonline is far from a household name, it's quickly becoming one for PS5 hunters. The online retailer recently put the console up in the early days of the year. On January 5, the website restocked some PS5 bundles at two points throughout the day. That got picked up by some popular restock Twitter accounts, sending an influx of desperate fans to the retailer.

While the bundles are currently sold out, Antonline is a retailer to watch now as more stock is expected soon. If you hadn't set up tracking alerts for the site with one of the tools mentioned above, it's a good idea to do that now. Considering they're not a big name, it might be easier to secure one here than somewhere like Amazon.

Newegg

Newegg is in a similar position as Antonline. The site has offered PS5 bundles over the past few months, making them one of the smaller retailers to watch. While there's no word on an official restock, some fans noticed that Newegg now displays "Coming Soon" text on some of its bundles. That might just be a bit of generic text, but we'll take what we can get at this point. Make sure to set up some restock alerts here to be safe.

PS Direct

Sony's own PS Direct site is quickly becoming the best option for finding a PS5. Recently, the retailer tends to put up new stock at least once a week. Granted, units tend to sell out in moments flat and you have to deal with a queue system, but the consistency makes this a top option. With how sporadic other sites have been with restocks, we recommend keeping a close eye out on Sony. Here's Inverse's guide on getting a system through PlayStation Direct just to make sure you're prepared.

Target

Target was the main retailer to watch headed into January. In the final week of December, rumors swirled that a PS5 restock was imminent. That had some fans waking up at 3 a.m. Eastern on December 28 to make sure they didn't miss a chance to nab one. Those rumors didn't quite pan out, which means that potential buyers are still hoping for a big restock

Because of those rumors, Target remains one of the main sites to keep an eye on. Even if the rumors were overblown, having even a shred of a tip is important. Make sure to stake out the listings for the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition and pray.

Best Buy

January 7 was the last major day of news for PS5 hopefuls. That day saw restocks at both Best Buy and GameStop. New stock isn't expected anytime soon, so it's possible that other sites could get PS5s before the next Best Buy round.

Still, here's some data to obsess over: In more recent sales, the console has gone on sale in the early afternoon on the east coast. The last ones happened at about 1:30 p.m. Eastern, 12:30 p.m. Eastern, and 11:30 p.m. Eastern. That's perfect timing for you to refresh the PS5 standard and Digital Edition listing on your lunch break.

GameStop

Like Best Buy, GameStop recently had a stock refresh on January 7. That one happened at around 3:30 p.m. Eastern, which is almost exactly when previous restocks have gone on sale. The benefit of checking GameStop is that they tend to put several bundles on sale alongside the standalone console and Digital Edition, so you'll usually have a few chances to get something if you're willing to make a bigger upfront purchase.

Walmart

There's not much to say about Walmart, which has been rather hard to predict during the new console mess. It's worth noting that the retailer has a tendency to release the PS5 in waves, so once sales start, they're worth checking throughout the day. Just take a look back at the site's December 17 restock. The retailer put the system up for sale at 3 p.m. Eastern and released more every ten minutes or so. Walmart tends to give plenty of notice on Twitter as well, making it easy to know when you'll need to be online. While there are no new updates on the next wave, Walmart tends to be one of the easier retailers to get a console at thanks to these details.

Amazon

Amazon restocks have been fairly consistent since the PS5 launched, but that's slowed down significantly in 2020. The last major restock happened on December 29, and before that, it was December 17.

That was the same day the system went up at places like Walmart and PlayStation Direct. Amazon's restocks tend to skew a little later than other retailers, with the most recent one happening around 6 p.m. Eastern. That timeframe isn't a surefire bet, but it's a similar window to some of Amazon Canada's recent restocks, so evening seems to be the time to check in on the standard and Digital Edition listings.