PS5 restocks could get obscenely difficult once October arrives — here's why

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You'll want to find a PS5 restock before the fall

PS5
(Image credit: Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

PS5 restocks are already extremely difficult to navigate in order to snag a console, but they could get even harder to come by this fall.

Having tracked PlayStation 5 stock drops from the console’s launch last November, TechRadar's Matt Swider reports that people keen to get a PS5 will need to put the legwork in over the next two months, as come October competition will increase even further as parents seek out a PS5 ahead of the holiday season. 

Swider’s forecast was given some weight by Anshel Sag, senior analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, who told TechRadar: "I honestly don't see this shortage getting better until next year.” 

It would be logical to expect PS5 production to ramp up in the run up to the holidays but Sag said that the semiconductor shortage that’s already blighting chip manufacturing across the board will rear its ugly head again. 

"With Qualcomm and Apple taking up vast swaths of 5nm, there isn't very much capacity left for vast jumps in demand even with process node optimizations,” explained Sag. "There still appears to be a lot of pent-up demand in the PC gaming segment which is still red hot and suffering from the worst GPU shortage I think I've ever seen in my 15-plus-year career."

Sony has already acknowledged there’s a stock shortage mess, and while it said it would aim to up production, there's only so much the company can do in the face of an industry crisis. And it’s not like it’s easy to find an Xbox Series X restock either. 

So in short, it looks like finding where to buy a PS5 is going to get worse before it gets better come the fall. We suggest you keep an eye on our PS5 restock page to be in with the best chance of securing either a disc or digital version of the console. And if you do manage to get hold of a PS5, not only will you have got a bargain bit of gaming tech, you can then check out our best PS5 games list. 

PS5 restock tracker — stores to check

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.