PS5 restocks May 2021: Target, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and more updates

Strap in for more bad news. A few months ago, it seemed like the PlayStation 5 shortages had stabilized. Retailers were consistently putting new stock up every week. That trend slowed to a crawl in March and it has yet to change. It turns out that was a sign of things to come, because shortages may continue well into 2022.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, Sony is still having trouble keeping up with the demand. Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki reportedly told analysts that it’s come down to a simple issue of supply and demand. People are itching to grab a new console, and Sony just can’t keep up.

"I don’t think demand is calming down this year,” Totoki said, “and even if we secure a lot more devices and produce many more units of the PlayStation 5 next year, our supply wouldn’t be able to catch up with demand."

With that sad news in mind, it doesn’t seem like relief is on the way anytime soon. The frantic hunt continues and it’ll likely last another six months minimum. Here’s everything you need to know to stay ahead of the curve.

Popfindr, Octoshop, and other retail tools

Tracking is a must-have in a situation like this. That’ll allow you to keep a close eye on retailers so you can see the moment PS5s go on sale. if you’re looking for some tools, OctoShop is an excellent Google Chrome extension that 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.

If you’re hoping to pick up a console in person and not deal with shipping, PopFindr is the way to go. 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.

Target

Target got a fresh drop on Wednesday, April 28 at 8:28 a.m. Eastern, which seemed like a good sign. It hasn’t had one since then though, so we’re certainly far off from the “once a week” restock cadence of February. Still, if you want to check in on Target, early mornings tend to be the sweet spot there in general.

Target has been one of the best retailers for PS5s in 2021, though it’s been spotty in certain patches of the year. Even with some inconsistency, 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.

Best Buy

After not having a PS5 drop since Friday, March 26, Best Buy finally got one in May. That came on Thursday, May 6 at around 3:45 p.m. Eastern. That timing is consistent with Best Buy’s usual afternoon restock timing. That said, there was over a month between Best Buy’s most recent restocks, so this might not be the best place to watch for the next few weeks.

Best Buy is generally a good place to get a PS5 when it is available, though. The website works well with tools like OctoShop, so we recommend setting that up. If we do get another restock this week, you want to bookmark the store's PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition pages.

Walmart

Walmart’s story is similar to Best Buy. It had a restock on Thursday, April 15 at 3 p.m. Eastern and then nearly a month of silence. As we predicted last week, it got a refresh at the same time as Best Buy. Walmart dropped new consoles at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, May 6. It’s likely that we’ll see another three or four weeks between restocks here.

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 Edition Store pages anyways.

GameStop

GameStop used to be behind the competition, but it’s become a more consistent retailer in recent months (which makes sense, considering that it’s a gaming store). Its last refresh was on Wednesday, April 28 at around 2 p.m. Eastern. The retailer got multiple restocks in April, so things look promising for May, though it's yet to refresh the console this 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.

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 usually a reliable option for those who don’t mind waiting. Its last refresh happened on Tuesday, April 13 and was consistent with previous ones. The queue usually opens up in the later afternoon and starts selling consoles around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. Eastern. Tuesdays and Wednesdays both seem to be Sony’s day of choice, so keep an eye out during your evenings on those days.

Amazon

Amazon may seem like a convenient site, but it’s a crapshoot for PS5 hunters. Consoles go up pretty infrequently and have four-week gaps between them at best. The last restock happened on Saturday, April 24 at around 3:50 p.m. Eastern. That means there’s a good chance we won't see another refresh until late May.

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

Newegg was part of the most recent wave of restocks on Wednesday, April 28. Hopeful fans could enter a lottery to have a chance to buy a system bundle.

Other than that, it’s been very quiet on the Newegg front lately. The retailer has offered PS5 bundles over the past few months, but this was their first restock in over a month. For the most part, they aren’t a very reliable site to watch thanks to their lottery system. 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 one of the more consistent retailers around right now, despite being a smaller name. The niche site got multiple restocks in April, including on the 6th, 15th, and 23rd of the month. It most recently had a restock on Thursday, May 6 alongside Best Buy and Walmart too, which is encouraging. It seems to be on a once-a-week cadence at the moment, so this might be your best bet for now.

The retailer sells big bundles that include extra controllers and a PS Plus membership. 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 throughout the week. Stake out its PS5 landing hub here, which also includes all the accessories you need.