Update: The next Target PS5 and Xbox restock date is scheduled for Thursday, March 11, TechRadar can finally report today. This supports our earlier reporting at the beginning of the week saying Target stores were amassing PS5 and Xbox consoles to go live sometime this week.
The information – critical to finding these hard-to-buy consoles that sell out in minutes – was first produced by YouTuber Jake Randall, who specializes in PS5 and Xbox Series X restock videos and live streams. So far he’s been ironclad with inside information from top retailers in the US.
It’ll look like (from two weeks ago):
🚨🚨🚨PS5 restock! 🎯 TARGET 🎯 in the US has it right now.♻️RT this + follow @mattswider + @techradar for instant Xbox & PlayStation 5 updatesPS5 Digital ($399) https://t.co/0gwPSeb5K7PS5 Disc ($499) https://t.co/Su99c2dOCs👇March 9, 2021
TechRadar previously confirmed that Target employees have been preparing for a PS5 restock for this week. We knew Xbox Series X restock was also being prepped for the same online-only ordering process, employees tell us. Sometimes one console will goes live before the other, as Target staggers the rollout by 15 to 30 minutes.
“We have roughly 8 Xbox consoles and 22 PS5 consoles,” we were told on Sunday in a direct message on Twitter by a Target employee who wishes to remain anonymous. Across three Target stores, employees told us that there are many more PS5 Disc Editions – and very few to zero PS5 Digital Editions for the impending Target restock.
Tips to get the Target PS5 restock
Important: The Target employees have stressed to us not show up at stores to order either console. These are online-only orders with an in-store pickup option. Essentially, Target doesn’t want throngs of people shows up to roam the aisles.
Pro tip: Target does online-only orders, but allows for in-store pickup. This means some stores, especially those in big cities, will run out more quickly. Try to adjust your pickup location if your nearest store runs out.
Target uses its local stores for next-gen console purchases, and it doesn’t ship from regional warehouses directly to consumers, like we see with just about every other retailer in the US. This means it’s harder to scalpers to buy up inventory nationwide.
There is a caveat if you’re on the West coast: last time there was a major Target PS5 restock, it happened at 8am EST, so it’s best to be prepared to wake up early, even if this means you’ll need to be awake at 5am PST. Of course, it could happen a bit earlier, or a bit later than that time.
We initially heard that the PS5 restock was this week, to be as soon as Monday from our Target warehouse sources, but as late as Thursday from others. That left open the possibility it could be later in the week, which is exactly what we’re seeing. It’s up to Target corporate headquarters to make the call to store managers.
Because the the many Target employees who talked to us, and the customers who sent us a flurry of kiosk photos, are from different parts of the US, this is destined to be a wider nationwide restock when it happens.
We saw something similar exactly two weeks ago when both the PS5 and Xbox Series X were sold online for in-store pickup. The consoles only lasted a few minutes before Target completely ran out of stock.
The good news is it wasn’t as hard to get ahold of either console compared what people went through during the Walmart and Best Buy restocks late last week.
Not every store will have this restock. TechRadar went to visit the Herald Square store in Manhattan, and employees there said they don’t often carry the PlayStation 5. So it may be available on a store-by-store basis.
The next closest Target to us with likely inventory in New York was their larger Harlem store. Based on our reporting, calling Target stores might not produce any answers regarding console stock. Their main line includes an automated message machine that insists is they don’t give out PS5 and Xbox restock information.
TechRadar also has several photos of boxes in the Target backroom showing Xbox Series X and PS5 inventory. We initially withheld those pictures until we could ensure there were no markings that could be traced back to our sources.
Will other retailers have the consoles this week?
We’ve seen limited PS5 and Xbox Series X restock this week from Costco on Tuesday morning and a major push for bundles from GameStop Tuesday afternoon. Thousands of people were able to finally get the console through our alerts.
However, we may not be done. Best Buy is amassing more PS5 and Xbox inventory right now, according to the photos we’re getting from its warehouses. Again, we’ve been provided images and have edited out UPC codes and signs on walls that could be traced back to our sources.
While Target is scheduled for Thursday, we don’t have an official date for Best Buy just yet. Instead, we know the store’s pattern: it’s 3-for-3 for launching next-gen console restock on Fridays. Will it give us a fourth – full-month – helping? That’s what we’re going to look out for on Friday afternoon, the usual time for launches.
Target PS5 inventory is now showing up in kiosks
Here’s another tell that consoles are coming: Target customers nationwide found PS5 inventory show up in kiosks on Sunday night ahead of the expected sale. Twitch streamer MyGuyMcFly snapped and sent a photo to TechRadar, seen below, showing 18 PS5 consoles in stock at a local Target in Minnesota, suggesting they have at least some inventory.
Even more PS5 consoles are stockpiled at a Target in Austin, Texas, with customer Esteban reaching out to us on Twitter to share a photo in a direct message.
“I went to my local Target a few minutes ago and they have some in stock,” he told us. The screen shows 25+ PS5 consoles on hand and 41 in the back. None were being sold just yet. He noted, “For PS5 Digital Edition, they only have 6, so I’m most likely aiming for the Disc version.”
What can you do to prepare?
You can do two things today. Check the stores below and receive alerts from our PS5 restock Twitter tracker.
It’ll look like:
🚨>90mins to Xbox restock / 2hrs to PS5 🌟Walmart🌟THIS IS THE BIG ONE🐳 PS5 Digital https://t.co/znn5fqVNI1PS5 Disc https://t.co/fOQxCworacXbox Series X https://t.co/rDu9ZnRy1iXbox Series S https://t.co/wU69mKu7OiMy how to buy it tips @techradar: https://t.co/LjreRk1bbsMarch 4, 2021
- 2. Check for PS5 restock yourself – these are the 12 trusted stores
Check these stores for PS5
- Amazon: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition – always check for surprise stock
- GameStop: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition – great source due to affordable bundles that stay in stock longer
- Walmart: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition – just went out of stock Thursday
- Sony Direct: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition
- Target: PS5 |PS5 Digital Edition
- Best Buy: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition – in stock Friday
- B&H Photo: PS5 |PS5 Digital Edition
- Sam’s Club: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition
- Newegg: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition
- Costco: PS5
- Adorama: PS5
- Antonline: PS5
PS5 has been nearly impossible to find in stock for more than a few minutes every time stores restock the Sony console. We’re finding the same can be said about the Xbox Series X. Both Sony and Microsoft launches their respective consoles in November 2020 and haven’t been able to manufacturer enough to meet demand.
Stores like Target, Walmart and Best Buy routinely add new stock to their stores and the crush of people coming to their sites often crashes the pages. Four months after the initial launches, it’s still a burden to buy a next-gen console, even after months of customers constantly trying their luck.