Where to buy PS5: Restock updates and how to pre-order Sony’s elusive PlayStation 5 console

Desperate for a new console? Read our exhaustive guide (iStock/The Independent)
Desperate for a new console? Read our exhaustive guide (iStock/The Independent)

The PS5 has been out for over six months now and gamers are still struggling to get their hands on Sony’s newest console. Stock issues have plagued the PS5 ever since it launched last year, and the restock kerfuffle is still going on today.

The sad tale began in November, when excited gamers tore open PS5 parcels that they had pre-ordered, only to find them replaced with cat food, a George Foreman grill and a bag of grain. Whenever more PS5s were made available, they were snapped up almost immediately, with scalpers leading the charge.

Availability of the PS5 isn’t likely to improve until later in the year thanks to the global shortage in semiconductors due to increased demand for electronics. Some reports even suggest that the Suez Canal blockage could have contributed to even more delays to stock.

Follow live: PS5 restock UK – Latest updates from BT, Argos and Game

“The pace of the improvement in the supply chain will gather throughout the course of the year,” said Jim Ryan, Sony’s CEO, to The Financial Times. “By the time we get to the second half of [2021], you’re going to be seeing really decent numbers indeed.”

While April was a terrible month for PS5 drops. May was one of the best months for restocks since the PS5 was first released. We saw a massive drop from Game and Amazon and shorter, smaller drops at AO, Very, Currys, Argos, Asda and BT. June is expected to be just as good, if not better.

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Several websites and Twitter accounts that track PS5 availability have their fingers on the pulse. In the months ahead, Sony expects the situation to improve, and hopefully shelves will start filling up nicely. We’ll also be updating this page regularly whenever we hear exactly when retailers will be stocking up once again.

You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

When will PS5 restock in the UK?

  • Very: Out of stock. Last restock took place on 22 June

  • Game: Out of stock. Last restock took place in-store on 21 June

  • AO.com: Out of stock

  • Amazon: Out of stock. Last restock occurred on 29 June

  • John Lewis & Partners: Out of stock

  • Asda: Out of stock. The last drop took place on 22 June

  • Smyths Toys: Out of stock. The last drop took place on 23 June

  • Argos: Out of stock. More rumoured to drop between 23 June and 24 June

  • Currys: Out of stock

  • Tesco: Out of stock

  • BT: Out of stock

Where to buy PS5 in the UK

Every retailer had seemingly been impacted by the shipment delays last month, as it was a pretty dry April for PS5 restocks across the board.

Twitter tipsters suggested that during May we would see a double drop of PS5 consoles at most retailers to cover last month and May. This turned out ot be true, seeing our best month for PS5 drops yet. Here’s hoping June will be even better. Each shop has a different schedule for when they will drop the PS5 on their websites, and below we’ve rounded up all the major ones, along with the best ways to get a console when they do end up arriving.

Very – The PS5 was last in stock at Very on 26 May. Lots of people complained about not getting through the queue to buy the console. The PS5 disc edition costs £449.99 (Very.co.uk), while the PS5 digital edition is cheaper at £349.99 (Very.co.uk).

Game – Stock became available on 26 May at around 11am, selling out within four hours – one of the longest drops since the console was first released. There was a rumoured 20,000 consoles up for grabs. In case you missed out, Game usually puts new items up on its website between 9am and 11am. Bundles included a PS5 disc edition with a copy of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and an additional dual sense control (£594.96, Game.co.uk) and the same PS5 bundle, except with Demon’s Souls (£594.96, Game.co.uk). The cheapest disc edition bundle comes with a “Player1” T-shirt (£464.98, Game.co.uk). The most expensive disc bundle comes with a dual sense controller and a pulse 3D gaming headset (£599.97, Game.co.uk). Another drop is rumoured to land between 1 and 3 June.

Amazon – Amazon is now live! Buy it now.

Following Amazon’s phantom restock on 28 May – when no stock was available to buy despite the page saying so – the retailer finally released 13,000 consoles on 2 June. Amazon is the most reliable site in terms of its ability to handle large numbers of people, so we shouldn’t have any Argos-like crashing snafus.

Asda – Stock dropped at 8:30am on 22 June and lasted just 20 minutes. For future reference, if you’re having issues, add it to your wish list and then add it to your basket. They don’t make things easy, do they?

Argos – Stock became available at Argos on 18 June at around 8am, with people being able to pickup and order in-store.. You are still able to add the console to your trolley but when you try to checkout, you won’t find any in stock at any store – near or far. The next drop is rumoured to take place on 28 June. If you struggle to get onto the website, the iOS and Android apps are known to perform better.

Smyths Toys – Smyths had a drop on 23 June. There is no indication as to when it could drop more consoles next.

AO – AO had an unexpected drop in the second week of JUne, alongside Amazon, but the consoles were all sadly snapped up within the hour.

Currys PC World – Currys PC World used to use a PS5 VIP priority pass lottery. If selected, you will have 72 hours to buy the console using a unique code. Codes were sent out on 26 May and will expire on 29 May. Check your inbox and junk folder. The retailer stopped this in early June and no restock has happened since, although people are still receiving codes.

John Lewis & Partners – The retailer had a tiny drop in thesecond week of June and stock sold out instantly. The retailer’s drops are always small.

BT.com – The BT shop sent out codes via email on 25 May to those who had registered their interest. These emails contain a code which will take you directly to the order page, where you can buy a PS5. This is why it’s important to register your interest at every retailers so you’re on top of drops.

You can queue if you don’t have a code, but you’ll simply be taken to the PS5 landing page where you can register your interest.

How much is the PS5?

The PS5 disc edition costs £449.99, while the PS5 digital edition is cheaper at £349.99. The standard PS5 is the exact same price as the new Xbox series x – conveniently also out of stock in most retailers. But the Xbox series s (the all-digital edition of the Xbox series x) is cheaper than the PS5 digital edition, costing just £249. If you want more information on the differences, you can read our comparison of the Xbox series X and PS5.

Bundles are expected to arrive soon, with Game having revealed that a range will drop on 27 May. You can pre-order a PS5 bundle with a copy of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sony’s pulse 3D wireless headphones for £606.96. Mysteriously, these have now disappeared.

When was the PS5 released?

The PS5 was released on 19 November in the UK and sold out instantly. Some of the people who pre-ordered the console on Amazon found themselves greeted with not a shiny new PS5, but a bag of grain, a grill or some cat food instead. Despite being out for more than six months now, the PS5 is still extremely difficult to find.

Can you play PS4 games on the PS5 and is the PS5 backwards compatible?

Yes! The overwhelming majority of PS4 games are playable on the PS5. You’ll be able to download any games you bought through the PlayStation store on your PS4 and have them play on the PS5. If you’ve got the disc edition of the PS5, you’ll also be able to insert your PS4 discs into the PS5 and play them that way. Obviously, because there’s no physical disc slot on the digital edition of the PS5, you won’t be able to play your PS4 discs on it.

Best PS5 accessories

Whether you’re still waiting for your chance to get your hands on a PS5, or you managed to get one in a recent drop, we’ve tested and reviewed everything from the best wireless gaming headsets to the best gaming keyboards. We’ve rounded up a few of our favourites below.

Best wireless gaming headset: Razer blackshark V2 pro: £177.97, LaptopsDirect.co.uk

 (Razer)
(Razer)

Thanks to Razer’s offering, you don’t have to spend £300+ on a wireless gaming headset to get excellent in-game sound. Aimed at esports players, the headset offers superb directional audio and a superbly clear microphone ensuring your team communication is completely unimpeded.

It comes with impressive built-in noise cancellation, leaving you to concentrate on the in-game audio, and its memory foam cushions are gentle on delicate ears. While it’s plug and play with both PS4/5 and Nintendo Switch (docked), the headphones really come to life on PC with THX spatial audio where virtual surround gives you a good idea of where your enemies are lurking in supported games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Doom Eternal.

There’s not too many THX-supported games, and the feature isn’t present on console, but the audio quality is still good and the comfort is there, so this remains an excellent mid-range headset for those who play multiplayer on PC and PS4.

Buy now

Best gaming headset under £100: Razer Blackshark V2 + USB soundcard: £99.99, Razer.com

 (Razer)
(Razer)

Fans of the original Blackshark headset, released by Razer in 2012, should get excited about the remastered V2, which was released just last month. The V2 takes everything its predecessor mastered – amazing audio, superior mic clarity, supreme sound isolation, premium comfort – and enhances it, truly making this the gamer’s gaming headset.

For the audiophiles, the V2 offers a huge depth of customisation, from the 50mm drivers that allow individual tuning for highs, mids and lows to the soundcard and advanced mic controls that finetune the pick-up area and eliminate background noise so that you can deliver your burns loud and clear.

But the real USP is undoubtedly the superior features that come with Razer’s partnership with THX – the movie-standard audio company of George Lucas fame. Not only does this deliver a lifelike and realistic 360 degrees of sound, but you are able to create “profiles” for your favourite games. You can adjust the settings to your liking, down to the finest detail, to ensure you are able to pinpoint and track your enemies – allowing you to turn up softer sounds without overpowering the louder ones, like picking up footsteps during a chaotic firefight – while the surround sound ensures you won’t lose any of the immersive environment sounds. In layman's terms, you hear sounds exactly where you’d expect to hear them.

That’s not to say this isn’t a great headset whether you’re on your 14th hour of Apex (which they truly are built for), roaming a vast RPG or simply listening to music or watching a video – the audio quality is top-notch. And if that doesn’t sell it to you, the lightweight design (the whole thing comes in at just 240g) and memory foam cushions suit both professional esports players who play for long periods of time as well as on-the-go audiophiles.

The V2 is the brother of the V2 X (£62.90, Razer.com), which, with much of the same features bar the soundcard and THX spatial audio, is two-thirds of the price, making for a great entry-level headset.

Buy now

For more on the PS5, why not check out our review of the PS5, or our round-up of the best game consoles of 2021?