Getting a PS5 or Xbox Series S/X just got easier after two years

After two years on the market, you’d probably think getting a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X would be easier now.

Certainly, there is a semiconductor shortage the world continues to face and a supply chain bottleneck It is expected to continue until 2023 (if not 2024 to me some estimates). But, said Sony Interactive Entertainment President Jim Ryan V The annual PlayStation Partner Awards In Japan on December 2nd, the company appears to be “Fixed the long-term supply issue for the PlayStation 5in Asian markets.

Oh yes? Then why and when my city Many brick-and-mortar stores were called out just a few days before Christmas this year, did we tell that stock of both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X consoles was either extremely limited or completely gone?

The fact of the matter is, while it’s becoming somewhat easier to get hold of new-gen consoles, doing so still takes diligence and patience — unless you want to get your hands on the smaller, fluffier Series S, or you can wait for it to ship. Unlike that, Like last yearIf you were hoping to walk into and out of a store with a brand new console in hand, you’re probably out of luck.

Inventory in brick-and-mortar stores is unreliable

You might be tempted to call up your local physical retailer like Best Buy or GameStop with the intention of buying a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X in-store. That’s definitely a possibility, though it depends on which console you want.

told a GameStop partner in the Manhattan, New York location my city Over the phone that the Sony system is “rarely” in stock and when it’s on store shelves, it’s gone within a week. The Xbox Series X is “more popular,” the colleague said, but the same inventory issue appears: When it’s in stock, it sells out in a few days. This situation is repeated at other physical stores, including Best Buy and Walmart, with store partners at both retailers told my city In short phone interviews, he added that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are “sometimes” available but sell out quickly.

Surprisingly, things are a little different at Target. A PlayStation 5 was actually sitting on the shelves “right now,” said an employee at the Manhattan store, but people looking to buy one couldn’t just walk in, take one to the counter, and check out. Instead, you have to do an in-store pickup through the company’s website, and if stock is available, you can go in with cash and walk out with the PlayStation 5. In a striking twist, the Xbox Series X was immediately available. The employee said, if I really want to, I can buy a Microsoft console at this moment. They were quick to point out, however, that all system purchases – particularly on PlayStation 5 – were limited to one purchase per person due to “security concerns”. Yikes.

Online retailers are a little better, but not by much

If brick-and-mortar stores aren’t reliable in terms of physical inventory, you may have a better chance of buying a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X online and having it shipped to your home. All major retailers usually have both consoles in stock and if they aren’t available themselves, you can usually bundle them with a game or subscription. There are some exceptions here, of course. Jim Stopfor example, is completely sold out An individual Playstation 5s And the Xbox Series Xs online now. as it is best buy employment Playstation 5although you can Order Xbox Series X. If you have an account.

It’s always difficult to order something from Walmart, as the company tends to partner with third-party sellers to complete transactions. But, since I’m checking the company’s website now, Playstation 5s And the Xbox Series Xs Mostly available to buy online – although the prices of these units seem to vary widely. The target is similarly strange, With Both systems It’s either “off for shipping” or it’ll switch to in-store pickup only—if it’s available at all, of course. One quick note here, though: You can also order a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X directly from Amazon.com Sony And the MicrosoftOfficial websites, and it seems to be in stock. Shipping here appears to be comparable to other major retailers too, with orders now arriving a few days after Christmas. Not bad.

Hey, you can always get the Xbox Series S.

You may have noticed that I skipped one whole console: the Xbox Series S. That’s because, as I wrote earlier, Microsoft’s cheaper, smaller system is almost always available. Said many colleagues across brick and mortar stores my city Over the phone they have “a lot” of Xbox Series S sitting on their shelves at the moment. And as I browsed through various online retailers, including Microsoft’s own website, The smaller sister To the giant shoebox, the Xbox Series X was ready to order.

Certainly, it is not monster power This is Xbox Series X. It can’t output “true 4K” and only has four teraflops of processing power compared to its older sibling 12. And yes, you only get 512GB of internal storage instead of 1TB. What the system lacks in strength, however, consists in its impressive form factor and accessible price point. If you’re willing to make those simple trade-offs, the Xbox Series S is an excellent way to get into this current generation of console gaming.

Another year in the books, y’all. We succeeded. The entertainment and technology industries are still battered by the ongoing pandemic and semiconductor shortages, but things seem to be smoothing out a bit. Maybe around this time next year, the outlook for getting a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X will be much better. At least, you don’t have to worry so much about bots anymore.