GameStop is restocking PlayStation 5 consoles online. Purchasing a PS5 online has been an incredibly challenging endeavor, going back to the console's launch in 2020. Even now, PS5 availability is thin and demand is high. God of War Ragnarok has surged interest in acquiring the PS5 even as the console began to be seen on retail store shelves. But stock continues to appear online through GameStop and other retailers, available for lucky gamers with a quick response time.
Earlier this year Sony promised a surge of PS5s arriving in time for the holidays. Specifically, Sony cited "significant improvements" regarding PS5 part availability leading to increased production. It wasn't willing to increase its 18 million unit sales forecast, but it did say it was working to "bring forward more supply into the year-end holiday selling season. Over the past several weeks, PS5s have begun to be seen on retailer store shelves – how long they lasted isn't clear, though.
GameStop is furthering evidence of a surge in PS5 availability, announcing that it has a wave of consoles in. A GameStop message posted on Twitter says that PS5s are currently available to purchase online for pick-up in-store. These consoles aren't necessarily available to everyone, instead only available in "select locations." It seems to be dependent on whether they can be picked up locally, so PS5 shoppers will have to cross their fingers and hope a shop has stock nearby.
The other detail worth noting is that the PS5 GameStop has available are not bundles. They are strictly for the base PS5 alone, though they could be either the disc-based PS5 or the digital-only version of the console. That means that there aren't necessarily any God of War Ragnarok or Horizon Forbidden West PS5 bundles available, at least in this wave of consoles.
PS5 shoppers likely shouldn't get their hopes up. What PS5s GameStop does have available are likely to sell out quickly, if they aren't already sold out. And what was available was limited to just select locations in the first place. Still, it's possible that some PS5s are still there, waiting for the right shopper to look and see if they're still available.
Those still looking for a PS5 for the holidays shouldn't give up hope. It's not just GameStop that's getting additional PS5 consoles in right now. Watch the official PlayStation Direct store, too, as well as other online and local retailers. It may be true that by the end of 2022, there could be enough PS5s to meet demand.