PS5 restock: live updates for Best Buy, Walmart and GameStop – when to buy it PS5 restock

Our PS5 restock tracker is offering live updates for Best Buy, GameStop and other stores in the US, and if you follow PS5 restock Twitter tracker Matt Swider – and turn on notifications, you’ll get alerts when the Sony PlayStation 5 console is in stock. We’ve helped 77,000 people get the next-gen console in the last six months through these alerts, pointing people to retailers in the US like Walmart and Target. Last week saw both GameStop and Sony Direct had PS5 consoles, and we can confirm that Best Buy is due to have GPU stock this week, Thursday, August 26 – and it may have next-gen consoles, too, for sale online as it did before.

Here’s how to follow our PS5 restock Twitter tracker today.

Directions: Click on this screenshot of a PS5 restock alert from Twitter tracker Matt Swider and turn on notifications (that little bell icon in the profile) for instant alerts. This is what you’ll see when there’s the PS5 is in stock.

PS5 restock news: Sunday, August 22

We didn’t see the PS5 in stock at Best Buy last week, but it’s planning to sell hard-to-find tech products later this week. For example, TechRadar can confirm that the store has scheduled employees to work for an in-store purchase event of GPUs on Thursday, according to our exclusive sources. It may tie the PS5 console into an online purchase (it has done that once before on the same day).

There are two other stores due to have the PS5 in stock this month: GameStop has been selling the Sony console every seven to 15 days – so far it’s been five days – so it could be as soon as Tuesday, or it’ll stock up on inventory and do one next week. It really depends on how many consoles Sony sends GameStop between now and Tuesday.

 The other retailer expected to have the console is Amazon. The last time we saw the console in stock at the online retailer is July 22 – one month ago. So we could see more $499 PS5 Disc and $399 PS5 Digital consoles. That could provide customers, who don’t want GameStop PS5 bundles, with a console for MSRP.

Best Buy PS5 restock tracker

• Next PS5 restock date (rumored): Possibly this week online along with GPUs in-store
• Last PS5 restock date at Best Buy: August 12, 2021 at 2:35pm EDT
• Buying/Pickup method: Online-only (not in stores), in-store pickup 3-5 days later
• How to buy PS5 from Best Buy: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

According to our exclusive sources, Best Buy has asked its employees to be on-hand the morning of Thursday, August 26. While this is for new Nvidia GPU stock, Best Buy has also launched online order of the PS5 console hours later in the afternoon.

The Best Buy restock time may fall anywhere between 9:35am EDT and 5:05pm EDT – so during working hours – if it sticks to its previous timings. That’s a large window, so it’s all the more reason to follow our PS5 restock tracker account.

GameStop PS5 restock tracker

• Next PS5 restock date at GameStop: Every 7 to 15 days – so far it’s been 5 days
• Last PS5 restock date at GameStop: August 17, 2021 at 11:00am EDT
• Buying/Shipping method: Online-only, ships in 3-5 days
• How to buy PS5 from GameStop: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

Our exclusive reporting has tipped everyone off about the GameStop PS5 restock dates three times in a row, and the Twitter followers of Matt Swider have found the most success at this retailer because it has a higher barrier to entry.

GameStop requires you to pay a $15 a year membership fee (PowerUp Rewards Pro) and forces you to buy bundles. This prevents resellers from pouncing on the PS5, a problem we see at Walmart and Best Buy during every restock. So while you may pay around $750 for the PS5 Disc bundle with three games, an extra controller, and a gift card, it may be worth it if you’re a gamer and are desperate to find the PS5.

Matt usually knows about the GameStop PS5 restock date the night before it actually happens, so stay tuned for that all-important tweet before you go to bed.

Target PS5 restock tracker

• Next PS5 restock date at Target: Strategy may have changed (see below)
• Last PS5 restock date at Target : July 30, 2021 at 7:38am EDT
• Buying/Shipping method: Online-only, same-day pickup in stores
• How to buy PS5 from Target: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

The Target PS5 restock date should be this week, however, our Twitter tracker has detected a change in the ordering process from the retailer, which usually has stock of the PlayStation 5 Disc console every three weeks.

Recently, local Target stores have opened up online orders for the PS5 Disc version at random times, usually during the morning. This is a switch from specific Target restock dates that happen nationwide. It’s happening at a few zip codes in the US, often with even fewer PS5 consoles available at each store.

Just in case it reverts back to nationwide PS5 drop dates, we’ll keep tracking Target. It’s always early in the morning. For example, three weeks ago, almost all Target stores in the US had a restock during that same early time window: between 7am EDT and 8am EDT, with the most popular time being within a few minutes of 7:40am EDT (the last PS5 restock time was 7:38am EDT, for example).

PS5 restock Twitter tracker for Amazon

• Next PS5 restock date at Amazon: Coming up in August
• Last PS5 restock date at Amazon : July 21, 2021 at 10:10am EDT
• Buying/Shipping method: Online-only, ships in 1-3 days
• How to buy PS5 from Amazon: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

Our PS5 restock Twitter tracker Matt Swider is ready for the next Amazon restock, as the No. 1 online retailer is due to launch console orders for August – it usually has a PlayStation 5 restock once a month and we haven’t seen PS5 in stock since late July.

Amazon is so popular that whenever it has a PS5 restock, its checkout pages usually crash with many people seeing 404 errors (with cute photos of dogs). The trick to buying the PS5 from Amazon is to select ‘Add to list’ whenever the normal add-to-cart button doesn’t work. From there, a pop-up window comes up and you can select ‘View list’ and add it to your cart from there, away from the main product page that’s being hammered by traffic.

Amazon usually picks one of two times for a restock: either in the morning (between 10am and 11am EDT) or in the middle of the night (just after 3am EDT). There was one special circumstance in which Amazon chose 12am EDT for its nighttime PS5 restock to tie into the last three hours of Amazon Prime Day.

Two important things: Going from the back-and-forth PS5 restock date and time patterns, we may be in for a late-night restock of the PS5 in August, but our Twitter tracker will be ready for it. Also, for every other restock, Amazon has PS5 Disc and Digital, and then just Digital the next time. This next cycle should have both versions of the console.

PS5 restock Twitter tracker for Walmart

• Next PS5 restock date at Walmart: Usually on Thursdays, but just had a restock
• Last PS5 restock date at Walmart : August 5, 2021 at 3:00pm EDT
• Buying/Shipping method: Online-only, ships from one week to one month
• How to buy PS5 from Walmart: Follow PS5 restock tracker Matt Swider

Walmart is known for two things: having massive PS5 restocks on Thursdays (but not every Thursday) and letting people buy consoles the retailer may or may not actually have in stock. This explains why it can take anywhere from one week to two months to get a paid-for PS5 console from Walmart.

And sure enough, our Twitter tracker knew hours ahead of time that Walmart would have the PS5 for sale Thursday two weeks ago, and the delivery dates are now marked for mid-September. It may be a while before Walmart has a proper PS5 restock (though it’s not unheard of for the online store to sell small PlayStation 5 inventory despite the fact that some customers are still waiting). 

More PS5 retailers being tracked on Twitter

These are just five of the retailers in the US that we’re constantly tracking on Twitter when it comes to PS5 stock, but far from the full list. We’re also monitoring restock dates at Newegg, Costco, Antonline, and Sam’s Club. Sony PlayStation Direct, the official store for the PlayStation 5 brand, is also due for a restock, but has slowed down offering inventory tremendously.

There are places in the US that you shouldn’t buy a PS5. Sears and QVC are offering “bundles” but the accessories they are charging hundreds of dollars for actually cost $35 at Target.

Online stores like Silicon Nerd haven’t delivered consoles to any of our followers, so you shouldn’t buy there until further notice (and maybe try to get your money back). We’ll continue to update this list so you have the best chance to get a PS5 console before that looming October deadline to buy PS5.