Amazon is offering a new and more orderly way for shoppers to buy a PS5. You can request an invitation right here on the console’s product page (it’s to the right, where a “buy” button would normally be located), and the company says that if you’re chosen, you’ll receive an e-mail with a link to purchase one within 72 hours. What’s more, you don’t need to be a Prime subscriber to request an invite.
So far, this invite-based system seems to be in place only for the more costly $499.99 version of the PlayStation 5 that features a Blu-ray disc drive, and not the digital version. If you want to boost your chances of getting one (even if you don’t luck out soon), Sony has long offered registrations on a rolling basis to be considered for an invite to buy a PS5 directly. You just need a PSN ID.
Amazon’s timing of this new invite system debuted with interesting timing, or I’m reading into it a little too much. To hype up Walmart Plus Weekend (Walmart’s take on Amazon Prime Day), Walmart Plus subscribers will have a chance at 3PM ET today to purchase a PS5 from the retailer.
Console restocks have been slower to come by in 2022, and the PS5 is one of the few remaining hot tech items that has yet to meet the high demand. The Xbox Series X and Series S have been easier to find in stock, as well as the Nintendo’s Switch OLED and several high-end PC gaming graphics cards.
