PS5 pre-orders are a mess — Here's your guide to buying the console

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Here's where you can pre-order a PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition (if they are in stock)

(Image credit: Sony)

Editor's Note (Updated 9.17.20): Walmart's preorders are of out stock once again. Stay tuned for more updates!

Sony's PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition pre-orders are currently sold out at every major US retailer. Console pre-orders went live last night, a day before Sony said they would. 

The premature listings resulted in chaos. GameStop crashed, Best Buy wouldn't let people checkout while Amazon, Target and Walmart sold out within hours, if not minutes. 

So how did we get here? Recently, Sony revealed the price and release date of the PS5 and PS5 Digital during a video showcase. To get you caught up, the PS5 costs $499 while the PS5 Digital Edition is $399. Both consoles will be released on November 12 in the US and Canada. 

What we didn't see during the video is a pre-order date. Instead, Creator and host of The Game Awards Geoff Keighley tipped us off, posting on Twitter that PS5 pre-orders would begin in full today, September 17 but that some retailers would let you secure the console a day before. 

Sony followed that tweet with confirmation that pre-orders would begin on September 17. But by then, the PS5 had already sold out at every store. 

Walmart was the first to jump the gun, opening pre-orders for both consoles. I alerted our Laptop Mag team at 6:45pm ET. All models had sold out by 7:05pm. Walmart was followed by other major retailers opening PS5 pre-orders, struggling to deal with an influx of traffic, then selling out within a matter of minutes. 

Some people did secure a PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition. But to give you an idea of how difficult it was, I couldn't get my hands on a PS5 Digital despite spending a considerable amount of time yesterday refreshing listings. 

Where to check for PS5 pre-orders

Here is a list of stores where the PS5 is or was available for pre-order. We can't guarantee the consoles will be in stock, but consider bookmarking this page so you can check back in regularly to see if they become available. 

I couldn't pre-order a PS5. So, what now?

Just because you couldn't lock in a PS5 order doesn't mean you won't get the console when it's released. After all, Sony said pre-orders would start today, so there's still a chance retailers will be allocated more consoles for a second wave. 

If pre-orders are, in fact, completely sold out until November 12, then you'll need to buy the console on launch day. If you try buying the console on Target's website, it even tells you "Preorders have sold out. Check back on release date." This certainly suggests Target won't be re-opening pre-orders, although you can never be too sure. 

Walmart, on the other hand, said in a statement that if you missed out on pre-ordering the PS5, you could "pre-order in Walmart stores on 9/22 for $499 (digital edition for $399)." It later said those dates were subject to change. 

Amazon's PS5 pages say "Currently unavailable" but there is an option to sign up for email updates when the consoles are back in stock. We recommend signing up to receive emails from as many retailers as possible to increase your odds. But use this as a backup considering those who signed-up for pre-order email updates didn't receive notice until the consoles had sold out.

Apart from keeping close tabs on the links above, your last bet for snagging a PS5 is to check your email and see if you were among the lucky few to be chosen by Sony for "early" pre-orders. 

We will update this page with any relevant info and will be the first to tell you when the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition go back in stock.

Phillip Tracy
Phillip Tracy

Phillip Tracy is the assistant managing editor at Laptop Mag where he reviews laptops, phones and other gadgets while covering the latest industry news. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Phillip became a tech reporter at the Daily Dot. There, he wrote reviews for a range of gadgets and covered everything from social media trends to cybersecurity. Prior to that, he wrote for RCR Wireless News covering 5G and IoT. When he's not tinkering with devices, you can find Phillip playing video games, reading, traveling or watching soccer.