Walmart Plus is giving customers early access to both PS5 restocks and Black Friday deals this year. That means there's plenty of value in taking the service out for a spin. The membership costs $13 a month, but you can pick up a 15-day free trial to test it out first. Note: trial users won't be able to gain early access to today's PS5 restock.
PS5 restock alert! There's going to be a drop of Playstation 5 consoles today at Walmart, with early doors access available up to three hours ahead of time for Walmart Plus members. This was first rumoured to be true from a sales ad that found its way online recently, but with the official start times listed on Walmart and many waiting in the wings to pounce, everything is lined up and ready to go.
The PS5 restock is happening in line with Walmart's Black Friday PS5 deals that launch today, but there is a slight twist to this stock drop: Walmart Plus members will have early access, and that early access will start at 4pm ET.
We've seen a few retailers put early access or priority queues out for those who are signed up to premium services before, and this looks to be a trend that's staying. That means that the best way to have a good shot at a PS5 stock today is to sign up for Walmart Plus immediately.
PS5 restock at Walmart
PS5 | $499.99 at Walmart
Live at 4pm ET / 1pm PT - early access
This Walmart PS5 restock is going to be a proper stock drop. And that means you've got to be prepared to be as smooth and as quick as possible. It'll be just as highly sought-after as it has been all year, so get there in advance and be prepared to strike.
PS5 Digital Edition | $399.99 at Walmart
Live at 4pm ET / 1pm PT - early access
This Walmart PS5 restock will also have the Digital Edition up for grabs too so if you're looking to go digital-only in this new-gen of consoles then this is the one to aim for today. Proving very popular indeed, alongside it's disc drive brother, the fight will be fierce for this model too.
Walmart Plus, luckily, is not that expensive at all, and you can always cancel it after you've used it. You'll get that aforementioned Black Friday early access, as well as free delivery, member prices on fuel, and other in-store perks as well, all for just $12.95 a month.
Also, while there is a 15-day free trial available you won't just be able to use this for early access - these privileges are not extended to you if you're only on a trial sub.
We're hoping that Walmart has got stacks and stacks of consoles lined up for this PS5 restock, so even those people without WalmartPlus might get lucky. Whatever your plan, though, you should get in there nice and early, ensure your details are correct and make sure you're all set. As always, this is going to be a fiercely fought-over stock drop, and there'll also be folks going for the Walmart Xbox Series X restock which is also today.
- Most likely restocks this week (USA): Best Buy | Amazon | Walmart | Sony Direct | GameStop | Target
- Most likely restocks this week (UK): Game | John Lewis | Amazon | Very | Argos | Currys | Box
PS5 restocks: the latest updates
- Walmart: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition - last seen November 18
- Best Buy: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition - last seen online November 18
- Amazon: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition - last seen October 26
- Sony: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition - last seen November 18
- GameStop: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition - last seen October 26
- Target: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition - last seen November 19
- Newegg: PS5 | PS5 Digital Edition - shuffle previously available September 27
Which PS5 should you buy?
PS5 ($499.99 / £449.99) | Check at Amazon
The full console is best for those looking for the complete PS5 experience (and a good serving of PS4 as well). The only difference here is that disk drive, but considering you'll be saving money buying physical games rather than being locked into the PS Store, there's plenty of value here.
PS5 Digital Edition ($399.99 / £359.99) | Check at Amazon
If you're looking to spend as little as possible, there's always the Digital Edition. There's no disk drive here, so you are limited to your digital library (and Sony's own PS Store), but if you don't have a large physical PS4 collection and you're savvy with those PS5 game sales, this could be the better option.
PS5 restocks: our top tips
PS5 restocks come and go with such speed that it can be frustrating working out exactly how to break through to the site and then to checkout. We see plenty of retailers with site slow-downs, and customers having their consoles sniped out of their carts right at the last second. Over the year we've spent tracking PS5 restocks, then, these are the tips we've found most helpful.
Follow retailers and stock trackers
Before racing to checkout, you'll have to be in the right place at the right time to make sure you've got a fighting chance at a PS5 restock. That means keeping a close eye on retailers via social media so that you never miss an announcement.
Sign in and save your payment details
When it comes down to the wire, it's important to note that seconds can mean the difference between successfully checking out with a console in your cart and walking away with an L. Sign into your favorite retailers ahead of time, and make sure you stay signed in, saving your payment and shipping details to speed through the checkout process at crunch time.
Keep refreshing
When the time comes, you'll want to keep that refresh button warm. Retailer sites are under considerable strain during large PS5 restocks, with so many consumers flooding to a single page so quickly. That means you'll need to brute force your way through, with as many tabs open as you can manage.
Don't give up
We often see retailers launching PS5 stock in waves, which means you won't want to walk away too soon. Even when the page suggests the console is out of stock, we'd recommend spending a little while longer refreshing. You never know when the next round will begin and you might land lucky.
Check for PS5 restocks today
- USA PS5 ($499.99): Amazon | Best Buy | Walmart | Target | GameStop | B&H Photo | Newegg | Adorama | Sony | Sam's Club
- USA PS5 Digital Edition ($399.99): Amazon | Best Buy | Walmart | Target | GameStop | B&H Photo | Newegg | Adorama | Sony | Sam's Club
- UK PS5 (£449.99): Amazon | Very | John Lewis | Argos | Currys | Box | eBuyer | AO | Game
- UK PS5 Digital Edition (£359.99): Amazon | Very | Argos | Currys | Box | eBuyer
If you manage to secure the console, don't forget to check out our guides on the best PS5 headsets and best TV for PS5. Equally, our PS5 SSD or best PS5 external hard drives guides may be of use if you're looking for bonus storage.
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Rob is the Deputy Editor of sister site, TechRadar Gaming, and has been in the games and tech industry for years. Prior to a recent stint as Gaming Editor at WePC, Rob was the Commissioning Editor for Hardware at GamesRadar+, and was on the hardware team for more than four years, since its inception in late 2018. He is also a writer on games and has had work published over the last six years or so at the likes of Eurogamer, RPS, PCGN, and more. He is also a qualified landscape and garden designer, so does that in his spare time, while he is also an expert on the virtual landscapes and environments of games and loves to write about them too, including in an upcoming book on the topic!