PS5 restocks: Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, PS Direct, and more March updates

PlayStation 5 consoles are becoming easier to get. We swear. It probably doesn’t seem like that’s the case, but we’ve been tracking the console every week now. In January, the situation was grim. There were restocks happening only a few times a month due to component shortages. Now we see multiple happening each week and patterns that make it easier to figure out when consoles will go on sale next.

It’s still a challenge, don’t get us wrong. Fans who want to secure a PS5 still need to be in the right place at the right time. A fast clicking finger and no impulse management is the key to success. We can’t help with the latter, but we do have all of the information you need to finally grab a PS5 this spring.

Popfindr, Octoshop, and other retail tools

Let’s start with tracking. While it isn’t a necessity, it can really give you the edge over the swarm of people looking for a PS5. If you’re looking for a recommendation, OctoShop is a must-download. This Google Chrome extension will notify you as soon as restocks become available at your retailer of choice. Download it, enter the retailers you want it to scan, and wait for a PS5 restock.

PopFindr is the way to go if you’re looking to head out to a local store and pick one up in person. On top of those tools, there are plenty of helpful Twitter accounts that are worth following for restock news. We recommend following accounts like @PS5StockAlerts, @SpielTimes, and @Wario64 that will Tweet anytime that new consoles become available at a retailer, and you can even enable push notifications whenever one or more of these accounts tweets. This article will also have links to every retailer's website that you'd want to get a PS5 from, so you might want to bookmark some pages.

Best Buy

Here’s the best advice we can give at this point: Best Buy. Fridays. Noon. This pattern has held up every week for about a month now with slight variations in timing. We’ve correctly predicted the next restock consistently in our past few updates. We said to keep an eye out on March 19 at 12 p.m. Eastern, and it was a direct hit. Next target: Friday, March 26. Check at noon, but note that sometimes Best Buy puts consoles up as late as 3:30 p.m. Eastern too.

Best Buy had a rough patch at the start of the year, but now it's perhaps the best place to get a PS5. The website works well with tools like OctoShop, so we recommend setting that up. If we do get another Friday restock this week, you want to bookmark the store's PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition pages.

PlayStation Direct

As the name implies, PlayStation Direct is the best way to get a console directly from Sony. The only catch is that you'll have to use a queue system that's becoming the bane of many fans' existence. Going to the PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition PS Direct pages when a restock happens will put you in line and you'll only have a chance to get a console if it's still in stock once you reach the front. It's not a fun experience for the impatient.

This is another very reliable option. The queue usually opens up in the later afternoon and starts selling consoles around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. Eastern. The most recent example of that timing came on Wednesday, March 17 (and the day before as well). Keep your eye out on Wednesday, March 24 around 3:30 p.m. Eastern for your next potential shot.

Walmart

When it comes to restocks, Walmart is benevolent. It’s one of the few retailers that actually gives players a heads up as to when consoles will go on sale. Last week, it dropped new inventory on Thursday, March 18 at 3 p.m. Eastern, and gave fans advanced warning. If you simply don’t want to set up your own tracking, we recommend going the Walmart route.

To get an edge over the rest of the world, make sure you’re following Walmart on social media. It's very rare that it doesn't give fair warning, but if you’re still paranoid you can keep an eye on Walmart's PS5 and PS5 Digital Edtion Store pages anyways.

Target

Target should have some new restock updates soon. The retailer last got a fresh order of PS5s on Thursday, March 11 at around 7:45 a.m. Eastern. It’s lagging behind retailers like Best Buy, which usually means it’s next in line. Early mornings tend to be the sweet spot for Target, so check on them first thing in the morning when you can.

Target has been a consistent retailer in 2021, but it's starting to lag behind. That puts it in the perfect position to drop new consoles soon, so we recommend tracking the site via PopFindr. If you're trying to get one online, you'll have to rely on the aforementioned tools and Target's PS5 hub page.

GameStop

GameStop was on a roll for a while there. The retailer has had two big refreshes this month. One was Thursday, March 4 at just about 2 p.m. Eastern and the other was Tuesday, March 9 closer to 3:30 p.m. Eastern. That was unusually consistent for the retailer and it’s since reverted to silence. It’s been long enough that a restock is likely to hit by the end of the month.

GameStop can provide a good way to get bundles with games or extra controllers included if you want to go big. Pay attention to the retailer's PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition store pages and keep an eye on their emails and social channels for restock updates.

Amazon

It was fun while it lasted. It seemed like Amazon was back in the game after a restock on Wednesday, March 3 at 10 a.m. Eastern. We hoped that this was a good sign for the inconsistent retailer, but now we’re back to waiting. There’s still hope Amazon could get more systems soon, but realistically, we’re looking at three to four weeks between refreshes. At best, we might get a fast refresh at the very end of the month.

If Amazon does restock PS5 consoles again this month, you'll want OctoShop or another tool to notify you. If you just want to get lucky, you can also refresh the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition store pages.

Newegg

It’s been very quiet on the Newegg front lately. The retailer has offered PS5 bundles over the past few months, most recently on February 18, making them one of the smaller retailers to watch. That’s over a month ago, so it’s safe to say that it’s off our radar. While there's no word on when the next official restock might happen, Newegg has several different bundles, and anyone with a registered account can sign up directly for restock notifications.

Antonline

Antonline is dialing up its restocks lately. The last PS5 restock happened on Monday, March 15 at around 12 p.m. Eastern. Before that, it was Wednesday, March 10 at around 9:45 a.m. Eastern. There doesn’t appear to be any pattern here, so tracking is a must here.

The retailer sells big bundles that include extra controllers and a PS Plus memberships. If you'll use those add-ons, great, but be warned that the bundles often have a hefty price tag. (For instance, a bundle including the $399 PS5 Digital Edition will set you back a cool $650 with all the extras.) Considering the consistency with which it refreshes consoles, so you'll definitely want to keep an eye out towards the end of every week. Stake out its PS5 landing hub here, which also includes all the accessories you need.