The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles have launched in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which made it especially difficult for fans to get their hands on the consoles. For the first time in video game history, gamers had to rely almost entirely on online sales, with the vast majority of retailers avoiding in-store sales due to COVID-19, a practice that continues to this day. With online sales especially susceptible to scalpers and bots, it's made it extremely hard for consumers to purchase a next-gen consoles. However, it seems that may be changing soon, as some Best Buy locations will reportedly have PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles in stock as early as this week.
This was confirmed by Tech Radar, citing exclusive sources. According to Tech Radar's sources, various Best Buy flagship locations will have more than 50 consoles per store on Thursday, September 23, which should significantly increase the chances of consumers getting their hands on a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X console. The exact process of buying from Best Buy is unclear at this time, but if one's local Best Buy is going to be one of the stores with the consoles on-hand and then anyone interested will likely want to line up early Thursday morning to increase their odds of getting one. It's possible that all the transactions will still be online-only with in-store pick-up, however, as the details on how this all will work are still being worked out at the time of this writing.
The Best Buy next-gen console restock will reportedly consist of both versions of the PlayStation 5 console and the Xbox Series X. For the uninitiated, Sony is selling two versions of the PS5 to consumers; one with a disc drive for $499 and another that's digital-only for $399. The PS5 Digital Edition's lack of a disc drive is the only difference between it and the other PS5, so no one has to worry about missing out on power if they can only get one version of the console over the other at the Best Buy restock.
This Best Buy PS5 and Xbox Series X restock could potentially be a sign of things to come. Perhaps other retailers like Walmart will start selling next-gen consoles in store, following Best Buy's example. If so, it stands to reason that many who have struggled to get a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X console will finally be able to get one, though other retailers have not announced similar plans at this time.
Making it easier for legitimate consumers to purchase next-generation consoles should go a long way in curbing next-gen scalping as well. PS5 scalper prices are already going down, though it should be stressed that we're not out of the woods just yet. There will undoubtedly be many scalpers in line at Best Buys to get PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles to resell, even though they're not making quite as much money on the venture as they once were.
Not only that, but PS5 and Xbox Series X console shortages are expected to last until 2023, so while it may soon get easier to get a console if other retailers follow Best Buy's example, it's still not going to be as simple as walking into a store and walking out with one.
Source: Tech Radar