Between high demand, scalpers, automated bots eating up all the online stock, and ongoing chip shortages, it has been next to impossible for many people to get their hands on a PlayStation 5 console. Even though the PS5 is over a year old at this point, one can't walk into a store and expect to see any on the shelves, and PS5 restocks sell out almost instantly. This has made it incredibly difficult for people to get a PS5 as a Christmas gift for their loved ones this year, but some still managed to succeed.
TikTok user stlaurent got her hands on a PlayStation 5 as a Christmas gift for her dad and recorded his reaction. In the viral video, which has amassed over 4 million views and 571,000 likes at the time of this writing, stlaurent's dad first opens a smaller present that turns out to be a copy of NHL 22 for PS5. Stlaurent's dad is confused by this as he has a PlayStation 4 and not a PlayStation 5, but then he's handed his next gift.
Stlaurent's dad looks to be on the verge of tears after being handed his next present, which is a brand new PlayStation 5 console to play NHL 22 on. The gamer dad's emotional reaction shows that stlaurent got him exactly what he wanted for Christmas. "This was actually priceless," she said in the caption of the video. "But gonna be tough as hell to top for next year."
It's unclear how stlaurent managed to buy a PlayStation 5 console in time for Christmas. She may have gotten lucky during one of the many PS5 restocks that various retailers hosted throughout the year, or she may have bitten the bullet and bought it off a scalper. No clarification is given in the video, but there are various ways that people can make getting a PlayStation 5 console a little easier.
Retailers have started offering first dibs on PS5 consoles to customers that sign up for their subscription programs, which seems to be one of the most reliable ways to get a PS5. For example, the Walmart+ program makes it easier for Walmart shoppers to get a PS5 console, while the GameStop PowerUp Rewards Pro program makes special PS5 bundles available for its members to buy before the general public.
The PS5 console shortages are expected to continue in 2022, but hopefully they will be easier to find by the time next Christmas rolls around.