Beautiful Bescherung: How and where you can buy a PlayStation 5 for Christmas (Images: Sony Interactive / Cheerful)
The Sony console is likely to be on countless wish lists: Where and how to buy a PlayStation 5 in time for Christmas?
Update from 3. December 2021: We have updated and supplemented the entry on PlayStation Direct.
Update from 18. November 2021: We have updated this post in several places and added new Real.
Update from 8. November 2021: We’ve added PlayStation Direct to this post.
Update from 28. October 2021: We have supplemented this article with the current O2 mobile offer.
Update from 27. October 2021: We have added Smyths Toys to this post.
As "Final opponent of the gift seekers" is what SPIEGEL called the PlayStation 5 a few weeks ago: Because even a year after market launch, the Sony game console is still hard to get – this applies to Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as all other European markets and the U.S.
The PS5 purchase remains exhausting and wears on the nerves – this is especially true with regard to the Christmas business. Because the €400 and €500 consoles respectively are sold out in series. The waiting lists, which are sporadically kept in stores, extend into the new year – and those who want to buy the device online at one of the rare ‘drops’ have to be well informed and prepared, because the PS5 will be available at Amazon*, Otto*& Co. only offered at intervals of several weeks for a few minutes.
When which retailer has sold the PlayStation 5 since January 2021 (as of 7. December 2021)
So how realistic is it to spend the holidays with a PlayStation 5? As an industry magazine, GamesWirtschaft has been following the situation on the PlayStation 5 market for many months with daily updates. We are also in regular communication with the country’s leading retailers. This is how we rate the chances of being able to buy a PS5 for the list price of €399 (Digital Edition) or €499 (with drive) in the remaining weeks until Christmas – of Green (rather good) about Yellow (mediocre) and Orange (low) to alarm level Red (Finger off).
Status: 7. December 2021 (will be updated continuously)
NEW PlayStation Direct
Update from 3.12.2021 (11:45 a.m.): Completely out of nowhere this morning, an unannounced, public PS5 sale at PlayStation Direct. However, according to reports, only very few devices have been offered.
Update from 3.12.2021 (11 a.m.): In the morning, the second PS5 sale took place at PlayStation Direct; in this case, an invitation was also required.
Update from 24.11.2021: On the second try, it worked: Sony Interactive today sold consoles for the first time directly Sold to selected customers in Germany.
Update from 11.11.2021: The first regular PS5 sale at PlayStation Direct failed due to technical problems – not a single console was sold. There is to be another attempt shortly.
Since the 8. November PlayStation Direct is also available in Germany: In the official online store you can order consoles, accessories and PlayStation games directly from the manufacturer – for PlayStation Plus subscribers the shipping costs are waived.
For the chronically sold-out PlayStation 5, special conditions still apply for the time being: You can’t simply add your desired device to the shopping cart like that. Instead, Sony Interactive will send out invitation emails at irregular intervals – to customers who have an active PlayStation Network account. Everyone who uses a PlayStation 4 inevitably has such PSN access data.
In the email, interested customers will find detailed instructions on how to get on a prospect list. These customers will subsequently be offered, a consoles per household within a specified time window – while stocks last, of course. The prices correspond to the list prices: €399.99 for the PS5 Digital Edition and €499.99 for the drive model.
The potential PS5 buyers will be chosen among PSN users "based on existing interests and PlayStation activities" selected. The exact criteria are company secret, but it shouldn’t hurt if you’ve already spent an hour or two in the PlayStation world.
Try it out right away to see if your PSN credentials work on PlayStation Direct. If this is the case, you can’t and don’t need to do anything else for now – except be patient and keep your fingers crossed for yourself.
For more information around PlayStation Direct, check out this post.
MediaMarkt
Nowhere else were as many PS5 consoles sold in 2021 as at MediaMarkt*. The market leader operates on two tracks: once or twice a month, there is an (unannounced) PS5 online sale at mediamarkt.en* instead of. At the beginning of September as well as in mid-October and at the end of November, it was also possible to pre-order the console against a deposit in the stores – the allotments of 30 to 100 units per store were quickly sold out.
There is something to be said for the fact that we will again experience a similar process after Christmas. How you find out about it? Not at all. Because almost no retailer advertises if and when he has the PS5 in stock (backgrounds). In our weekday PS5 ticker and via Twitter, we will inform you in time as soon as a pre-order promotion is imminent. Basic tips for buying the PS5 at MediaMarkt can be found here.
Saturn
To a lesser extent, the same applies to Saturn* as to its sister company MediaMarkt. Both providers practice PS5 sales almost synchronously, both online and offline. We have compiled tips on the PS5 sale at Saturn here.
Amazon
Amazon quotas fluctuate greatly: small quantities in September, larger loads in July, August and October. Ordering opportunities are rare: The PS5 is not available at Amazon* more than once or twice a month – in November and December there has not been a single opportunity so far.
Important: The console is sold Europe-wide by Amazon only sold to subscribers of the additional service Amazon Prime*. How you can best prepare for the PS5 surprise drops at Amazon is here.
Otto
The Hamburg XXL mail order company is only supplied with consoles by Sony Interactive every few weeks – and then only in small quantities. Analogous to other retailers, the availability of the console is not communicated. If you don’t have the time or the inclination to follow the situation on the market on a daily basis, you’ll only get a random hit at Otto*. How to increase your PS5 chances at Otto, you will learn in this post.
Euronics
On euronics.de* occasionally has the PlayStation 5 in stock – twice in August, not at all in September, and once each in October and November. You only have a real chance here if you precisely time the start of the drop – this is only possible for people with a lot of time and even more luck. The console cannot be reserved at Euronics’ local retailers.
Expert
The retailer association is organized similarly to Euronics: Several hundred independent electronics stores buy together and advertise together. The probability of a PS5 online order on expert.de* is similarly low as Euronics, especially since the sales always take place at ungodly hours in the morning.
But: Unlike the competitor, there are dozens of retailers nationwide that have PS5 waiting lists (overview of cities).
Hook number 1: The lists of interested parties are full to bursting, in many places there is an acceptance stop. If you want to be put on a list, you have to allow for waiting times of weeks or even months.
Hook number 2: Some expert retailers charge a premium on top of the official list price; this can quickly make the console €50 or €100 more expensive. Don’t let anyone tell you any fairy tales about alleged price increases – there have never been any.
Medimax
The last time there was a PS5 sale was at the beginning of November at medimax.de given. In the stores of the electronics market chain there is – as of now – no reservation possibility.
Muller
What many don’t know: The drugstore chain is one of the country’s top-selling console and video game retailers. If you want to buy a PS5 at Muller, you have to get up early, because the queue on mueller.de usually opens as early as 8:30 a.m. But Muller drops are rare and small – only those who are fast can score here.
Alternate
The hardware shipper puts together PS5 packages consisting of console, games and accessories at irregular intervals. The prices are in the region of 700 to 800 €, the contingents are usually small. If such a bundle is a possibility for you, it might be worthwhile to check out alternate’s PS5 page now and again.de* to have a look.
GameStop
Until the summer of 2021, you could buy the console on gamestop.de order. But this is no longer possible: GameStop has completely switched to offline sales for the PlayStation 5.
You can find GameStop stores in many pedestrian zones and shopping malls: If there is not yet an acceptance stop at the relevant store, you can put your name on a waiting list. As soon as the store is supplied again and it is your turn, you will receive a call or an e-mail. Caution: Depending on the region, long, sometimes long delivery times may be expected very long waiting times are to be expected – sometimes there is talk of early 2022.
Tips for buying PS5 at GameStop as well as a continuously updated city overview can be found here.
NEW Smyths Toys
It took nearly a year after PS5 launch for nationwide toy chain Smyths Toys to sell the PlayStation 5 for the first time – on 27. October 2021 was it so far. Although the console can be ordered online, it must be picked up in person at the selected store in person. The so-called Smyths Toys Superstores are usually located at former Toys R Us locations.
The PS5 allotments per store are so far still so clear that customers need a lot of luck to get hold of a PlayStation 5 at Smyths.
Specialized dealer locally
They exist in almost every major city: storefronts packed to the rafters, offering new and used games and consoles as well as collectibles and fan merchandise. These stores are usually supplied with goods by wholesalers, so the quantities are correspondingly small. Nevertheless: It doesn’t cost anything to ask – just ask directly in the store or give us a call.
Ebay / Ebay Classifieds
If you’re willing to pay a premium of 150 to 200 €, you can of course buy the PlayStation 5 on Ebay* or Ebay Kleinanzeigen.
As with all deals on these platforms, the usual safety rules apply: Take a close look at seller ratings, carefully study the fine print in the offer description, ask in case of ambiguities, always communicate via the official channels, use payment options with built-in buyer protection and, if possible, pick up the console in person.
Our advice with a view to the PlayStation 5: Buy the console now exclusively new, original packed goods with dealer invoice, to be on the safe side in case of guarantee/warranty.
Mobile phone, electricity and gas providers
Update from 28.10.2021: As of now, the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition including additional controller is available again as a premium at O2 (tariff Free M / 20 GB) – all details and the exact conditions can be found here* Update from 5.11.2021: Contingent sold out!
Several energy suppliers as well as DSL and mobile phone providers offer the PlayStation 5 as a bonus for new contracts. Those who are thinking about a change anyway can thus ‘take along’ the PS5 comparatively easily and cheaply. Delivery times vary widely – averaging three to four weeks.
Attention: Because the companies are dependent on the commitments of their service providers and intermediaries, there have regularly been massive delays in the past. In some cases, customers have been waiting for their bonus for almost a year. Among others, O2* and 1&1* have proven to be reliable.
NEW Real
Without warning, the Real department store chain on 15. November nationwide the PlayStation 5 to the Vorbestellung offered. The promotion was not announced in brochures – even the staff was overworked at many locations. Only small counter displays at the service center pointed out the purchase opportunity.
Each store has received only a small contingent – sometimes five pieces, sometimes 10 pieces, sometimes 15 pieces. Because word of the promotion spread quickly, the consoles were quickly sold out in many places. Whether and when there will be such an opportunity again – unclear.
Attention: The online marketplace real.de now operates under the name kaufland.and has nothing to do with Real (the department store). Many Real locations have since been taken over by competitors such as Edeka, Rewe or Kaufland.
Kaufland.de
The PS5 consoles you can buy at kaufland.The PlayStation 5 items that you can see in the picture do not come directly from Kaufland, but from external dealers. Because kaufland.de is an online marketplace analogous to Ebay. Prices for the PS5 have recently been beyond 700 to 800 €, which is completely excessive.
MyToys, Conrad, Baur, Cyberport, Computeruniverse& Co.
Many other online stores and chains are on Sony Interactive’s customer list. But the focus of the PS5 manufacturer is (currently) measurably on the big players in the industry.
The chances of getting a PlayStation 5 before Christmas from medium-sized mail-order and chain stores with a reasonable amount of time and research are minimal, in our estimation – in 2022, that may change.
Attention Fake Shops!
Countless consumers have already lost money because they fell for a so-called fake store. These are online stores that aggressively advertise on the net and make you believe that you can easily order a PS5 there at any time.
The truth is almost always: The companies mentioned do not exist, address data and contact persons are fictitious, the server is located abroad and bank transfers can hardly ever be revoked.
Rule of thumb: Buy the PS5 exclusive at renowned retailers and large chains (see list below).
Special care should be taken in connection with GameStop: Fraudsters solicit unsuspecting customers with the name and logo of the US chain. As mentioned above: You can buy the PlayStation 5 at GameStop exclusively buy or reserve in the store, not online. The company explicitly warns against fraudulent freeloaders.