Despite launching over a year ago, it’s frustrating to see that the PlayStation 5 is still routinely out of stock. The lack of availability has led to customers seeking out alternatives, whether that’s religiously following stock checker accounts, turning to the overpriced second-hand market, or maybe even entering competitions. Of course, when you’re going off the beaten path so to speak, you need to be careful about potential scams. Some PlayStation fans have received emails claiming to be from Sony, complete with offers to receive a free PS5 console as part of a fake beta program. Needless to say, this isn’t legit.
The email starts by telling recipients that they’ve been chosen to become a beta tester for the PS5 – despite the fact it launched in November 2020.
“Your email was previously used to log in to the Playstation Network (we didn’t check when, where or what, it was a pure random selection) – since we still don’t have any real user feedback on the new Playstation, we randomly selected 150 people around the world, and you are one of the lucky ones,” it continues.
“To accept the invitation to the beta program and receive the PS5, we kindly ask you to click here and answer a few questions.
“When you’re done, you’ll immediately see if you’ve been granted access and can continue by entering your shipping address.
“Please note, this is the last time we will contact you about access and the invitation link above will remain active for the next 24 hours.”
Needless to say, you shouldn’t click the link, enter any personal details, or download the PDF attachment.
You can usually tell if an email is fake by checking who it’s from and looking out for spelling mistakes.
If you’re desperate for a PS5, your best bet is to follow some of the more popular stock checker accounts on social media. You should also check the Express Gaming page for restock news updates and live blogs.
After a few smaller stock drops in the past week, the PS5 is expected to get a major restock at GAME in the coming days.
GAME, Amazon and Argos haven’t restocked the device in February, so a big drop is definitely overdue.
If you are planning to purchase a console from GAME, then check out the shopping tips below…
PlayStation 5 shopping tips when buying from GAME:
• Get familiar with the bundles, so you know which one to target first: Obscure bundles are easier to get, standalones almost impossible. [GAME]
• When alerted, click through to your first bundle of choice as quickly as possible, this will get you into the queue. [GAME]
• If it says it’s failed when trying to checkout, it means that bundle is now OOS. So go back to the bundles and pick another one. [GAME]
• Checking out too much too quickly will give you a 30-60 second timeout, so don’t rush it. If this happens, just wait a bit then try again. [GAME]
PlayStation 5 general shopping tips:
• Login if you already have an account with the retailer.
• Use multiple devices wherever possible – desktop browser, laptop, tablet, smartphone.
• If the retailer has a dedicated app, download and use the app for purchasing a PS5.
• Sign up for retailer stock alerts where possible. Sites like ShopTo allow users to register interest.
• Follow stock checker accounts and websites, including PS5 UK Stock and Express Gaming.
