PS5 stock: PlayStation console arrives at Amazon - but users struggle to buy it

The new PlayStation 5 briefly came back in stock at Amazon – before disappearing again.

Users have been struggling to buy the console since it came out in mid-November, and those issues are expected to continue into the new year. Sony has suggested the problems are mostly because of the fact that more people than usual are attempting to buy the new console this time around, as lockdowns and other trends have brought people back to gaming.

That rush for stock has meant that every listing of available consoles is immediately met by a flurry of excited buyers, and usually sells out straight away. That appeared to happen at Amazon on Thursday morning.

While the company’s listing for the digital version of the console showed as “in stock”, users who attempted to add it to their basket were shown a message indicating that it was not actually available, and they would have to wait.

The confusion is presumably a result of the fact that only limited numbers of the console were made available, and the sheer number of fans waiting to buy one mean that inevitably most people will be left frustrated.

Reports also suggest that numerous people are using automated systems or bots to buy the consoles as soon as they go live, and then selling them on at inflated prices.

All of those issues have led to chaos and upset around the launch of the PS5, with the console near-impossible to buy for the many people who want to get hold of one.

The issues came the same morning that the console appeared at Argos, but also sold out almost as quickly as it had arrived. Customers complained that they had their orders cancelled immediately.

Amazon has had other issues with the launch of the PS5. Customers complained that they had received a variety of other objects in the post instead of the PlayStations they ordered.