Visits: 5
Exclusive: The latest PS5 restock at Sony Direct was Friday and it was the largest ever, according to our exclusive data of PS5 restock Twitter tracker Matt Swider, who will send you alerts when PS5 is in stock in the US – if you follow his Twitter account and turn on notifications. Matt usually receives about 25 direct messages from his followers saying they got an email invite to a private virtual queue (Sony sends these to PSN users at random). On September 17, he received 125 of these direct messages, suggesting that the invites have gone out to five times as many people. Sure enough, more people were able to buy the PlayStation 5 console yesterday, though it doesn't seem like five times as many (more like twice as many, according to Matt's data). It's a step in the right direction elusive PS5 stock.
Here's how to know when the next PS5 restock will happen:
► When? Follow our PS5 restock Twitter tracker Matt Swider and turn on notifications for instant restock news. It’s the fastest way to get PS5 and Xbox stock updates.
► Never buy from other Twitter users – ever. They’re all scams. Only buy from the US stores Matt alerts you about. No one will sell a PS5 for just $550.
► How to get the email invite? Sign up for Matt’s newsletter to find out how to open yourself up to Sony’s email invite list. He details the steps weekly.
Sony Direct PS5 restock time today
The Sony Direct PS5 restock was Friday – at least those with the email invite. It comes from [email protected], so be sure to check your inbox in case you missed the email invite (sometimes you can use it again for the next round when Matt tweets out when it'll happen).
According to the email invite, Friday's invite-only queue to buy the PS5 started at 3pm EDT / 12pm PDT, requiring customers to click the 'Shop Now' button in their email at that time to try to secure a PlayStation 5 console.
PS5 stock for each customer isn't guaranteed, but you have a much better chance at buying the Sony console than you would during a public virtual queue. There was no public virtual queue on Friday, but when it does happen, it's at 5pm EDT. It's usually not based on “extra consoles” from the private queue, we've determined, but an allotment Sony sets aside for consumers without the Sony Direct email invite.
The Sony Direct page will always say you have a wait time of “more than an hour” but this is normal (and inaccurate) as the progress bar more quickly to 20 minutes, 12 minutes, 8 minutes and two minutes until it's your turn.
Sony Direct email invite bonanza
There are five times as many people claiming to have gotten the Sony Direct email invite, according to the data sent directly Matt Swider, who has received more than 125 Twitter direct messages with screenshots of the email invites for September 17 at 3pm EDT.
This means one of two things: either Sony went wild with handing out email invites this time around and has the normal amount of consoles available to purchase, or it's been holding back on everyone and is going to offer plenty of PS5 consoles to match the amount of invites circulating – more than any other Sony Direct restock before today.
Given the data that Matt Swider is privy to, we'll know which way things go in a few hours.
Update: It was somewhere in the middle. Twice as many people seemed to have secured the console, so while there were five times as many invites out there, not everyone was greeted with the add-to-cart button. Some saw 'Sold out' right away, turning the Sony Direct process into a lottery.
Didn't get a Sony Direct email invite? Here's how
Getting the Sony Direct email invite for a PS5 restock mostly comes down to luck, but there are ways to open yourself up to getting that all-important email message.
We have given out detailed instructions to anyone who has signed up for Matt's newsletter before, and we'll walk you through the process again this week if you're subscribed.
It's never guaranteed, but you'll finally at least have a chance to buy the PS5 console through the invite-only virtual queue where the chances of getting it are much higher.
More exclusive PS5 restock news coming
This Sony Direct exclusive news today is just the start of the PS5 restock reporting you'll see on only TechRadar through Matt Swider. We'll have more to share about PS5 restock events happening next week for those who can't secure their console through Sony Direct.
Many people are asking when Best Buy will restock the PS5 and when is the next GameStop restock? We can exclusively report that Best Buy and GameStop will have an in-store restock coming up one week from now: Thursday, September 23 (Best Buy) and the following Thursday, September 30 (GameStop). These are the first in-store nationwide restocks of the PS5 in 2021. We'll come back and update this information when we have official confirmation.
- How to buy PS5 today: Follow our PS5 restock Twitter account