Sony’s PlayStation 5 (PS5) was released on November 12th, 2020. Boasting some of the newest, most powerful, tech Sony released this console in two different versions: PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. 

The Digital Edition is not all that different from the PlayStation 5, the only difference is the lack of a disk drive. With a price tag of $399 for the Digital version and $499 for the disc version, gamers everywhere are looking to get their hands on the elusive consoles. 

According to VGChartz, a website which tracks video game sales, “over the course of two weeks the PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console with 1,483,910 consoles sold for the week ending November 14.” 

However, getting the console has been extremely difficult. The demand for the PS5 is extremely high, as PS5 pre-orders sell out in as soon as 30 minutes, but the supply is extremely low. 

On September 19, the PlayStation Twitter account tweeted “Let’s be honest: PS5 preorders could have been a lot smoother. We truly apologize for that” and promised that more consoles would be available throughout the rest of 2020. And I would have to agree. The launch was a nightmare, and trying to get a PS5 was no small feat for anyone. I think Sony should have waited before release if they knew they wouldn’t have enough consoles to meet the demand.

After deciding I wanted the PS5, I spent many nights up till 4 a.m. waiting for retailers to release more in stock. Getting my hands on the PS5 was a task I was extremely underprepared for. I spent hours late into the night, sometimes as late as 5 A.M. waiting for the next wave of consoles to be sold somewhere, anywhere, just to be disappointed again. 

Finally, I was able to secure a PS5 when I went to Walmart and found out they were getting a shipment the next day. My mom and I went to the store the next day when we heard the rumored shipment was supposed to arrive. We got in line as they unloaded the truck, and we were lucky enough to be the first in line as twenty others quickly lined up behind us. After failing five times on various websites before, we were able to get one. I felt so relieved that my journey was finally over. 

I am not the only one who has spent many sleepless nights trying to get this popular console. When GameStop announced that they would have a minimum of two consoles per store on Black Friday, people began to camp out as early as 2PM on Thanksgiving Day. 

Now, nearly one month after the consoles’ release, millions of people are still trying to get their hands on a console. Many social media accounts such as @PS5Drops on Twitter are dedicated to notify buyers of any releases or information about the PS5. If you want to try to get your hands on one of these consoles, my only tips would be to set up notifications for these accounts on twitter, so that you know the moment that the next wave will be released. If it weren’t for these accounts, I may have still been searching for a console today.