PS5 restock on Jan. 21 confirmed for GameStop, ‘rumored’ for Walmart; customers denounce scalpers using bots for mass pre-order

PlayStation fans will have another chance at getting a unit of PS5 this week as some retailers are either confirmed or rumored to drop new stocks Thursday. Meanwhile, the continuing issue of PS5 shortage is being worsened by the presence of scalpers and bots.

Retailers with confirmed and possible PS5 restock this week

GameStop is the latest retailer in the United States to confirm it will restock on PS5 and other consoles this week. In an update on Wednesday afternoon, the company tweeted that a “limited number” of console bundles will be available through its official online store.

The retailer will also restock Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch bundles, per the same online post. GameStop did not provide an ETA on the PS5 availability, but customers are advised to tune in on its Twitter page on Thursday.

In the replies section, some fans express disappointment that GameStop is only restocking PS5 bundles and not standalone console offers. However, others argue that this could actually increase people’s chance of getting the console. They believe notorious scalpers might be discouraged from disrupting the PS5 bundle drop because it could be harder for them to resell bundled items.

Twitter user RestockAlert reported that Walmart is “rumored” to have units available on Thursday as well. As of this writing, Walmart’s official online channels have yet to confirm this report. But RestockAlert has been one of the most reliable pages keeping customers notified on the availability of hard-to-find hardware, so it will not hurt to keep track of possible changes on the Walmart website on Thursday.

Screenshot from Twitter/@PS5RestockAlert

RestockAlert also advised that PS5 restock usually goes live on Walmart’s website around 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET. However, Twitter user King Restock said Walmart also often releases consoles between 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET.

PS5 restock: The glaring issues caused by scalpers and bots

A scalper known as Carnage has recently caught the attention of disgruntled video game customers. On its official website, Carnage describes its service as a “focused checkout automation” in Europe. Before its Twitter page was locked, Carnage bragged about closing 2,000 checkouts for PS5 consoles sold through the UK-based retailer GAME.

Customers have expressed disappointment for what they deem to be inaction on the part of retailers and Sony. Others insisted that the way to address the scalpers is by putting back the PS5 restock to in-store selling where purchases can be strictly limited to one console per one person. But this method tends to attract large numbers of customers flocking to the stores, and it could still be dangerous considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Featured photo by Kerde Severin from Pexels