GAMERS desperate to get their hands on a PlayStation 5 console could be in luck next week as big retailers are thought to be getting new stock in.
John Lewis, Currys, Smyths and GAME are all expected to be lined up for restocks this week, according to PS5 stock trackers.
Online retailer Amazon is also predicted to get new stock in later in April.
It comes after gamers were left disappointed when rumours of a Smyths restock swirling on social media throughout last week came to nothing.
@Ps5Instant said: “Expecting GAME (9-10am) & Argos (1-4am) 8th to 14th April.”
This has been backed up by another PS5 restock alerts account on Twitter, which has assured gamers desperately trying to get hold of the elusive console that “April is promising for stock”.
The account, @PS5CentralNews, claims “at least one major retailer will release every week”.
Follow our PS5 live blog below for the very latest news, updates and stock drop rumours…
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HOPE FOR STOCK DROP WHEN SHOPS REOPEN
With non-essential stores reopening on April 12, retailers will hopefully be moving some stock onto shelves for people waiting to purchase a PS5.
According to the Twitter account PS5 Instant, which shares rumours around upcoming stock drops, Smyths, GAME and Amazon are gearing up for restocks.
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RETAILERS TO RESTOCK NEXT WEEK, REPORTS
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TESCO WARNS OF PS5 SCAM
Tesco has warned shoppers of a new scam targeting PS5 customers. The next-gen console is still in constant demand – and remains sold-out almost everywhere.
Sony launched the PlayStation 5 back in November, with phenomenal success. But scammers have picked up on this demand, creating fake offers, deals and websites to steal money from unsuspecting Brits.
Now Tesco has warned that some enterprising tricksters are using the store’s branding to con buyers out of hundreds of pounds.
The retailer explained: “We have been made aware of an unofficial pre-order site using the Tesco branding. This is in no way affiliated with Tesco or Active OnDemand. Please do not use these sites to pre-order a PS5 or Xbox.”
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‘EASIER’ TO GET PS5 FROM JULY
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan recently admitted that it would be much easier to get a PS5 from July onwards.
Resellers were peddling the console for thousands of pounds in the days after launch.
And even months later, the PS5 is still in such high demand that people are selling the console for £1,000 on eBay.
The full PS5 costs £449/$499, while a Digital Edition without a disc tray is priced at £359/$399.
They’re up against the Xbox Series X (£449) and Xbox Series S (£249), which hit shelves worldwide November 10.
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PS5 SHORTAGE COULD WORSEN
The PS5 shortage could get worse as chip-makers struggle to meet demand.
Sony’s PlayStation 5 has been largely out of stock since November – and might not be widely available until July.
Much of this is being blamed on a global “crisis” in the computer chip world.
Demand for chips is through the roof, and suppliers can’t keep pace. Prices of chips are rising as a result, and major manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are being prioritised.
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PS PLUS OFFERING
SONY is giving away three games as part of this month’s PS Plus offering.
Better yet, one of the titles is a brand new PS5 exclusive: Oddworld Soulstorm.
PS Plus is a premium subscription service for PS4 gamers.
It gives you access to online multiplayer as well as exclusive discounts across the PlayStation Store.
But it also nets you two hand-picked PS4 games to download and play each month, which remain available as long as you’re a member.
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APRIL RESTOCK RUMOURS
According to the Twitter account PS5 Instant, which shares rumours around upcoming stock drops, Smyths, GAME and Amazon are gearing up for restocks.
As with previous batches, all number just a couple thousands consoles, meaning they’ll sell out pretty quickly.
“Smyths has a small drop of 2000 units planned for early April. John Lewis has pallets of PS5 in warehouses,” PS5 Instant tweeted.
“April is promising for stock; at least one major retailer will release every week! With GAME & Amazon receiving two big shipments minimum.”
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PLAYSTATION STORES CLOSING
Buying games for your favourite old PlayStation consoles is about to get a lot harder.
That’s because Sony is closing down its PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Portable this summer.
It means anyone wanting to buy games for their retro systems online will have to do so before official marketplaces vanish worldwide.
Sony announced: “We are closing PlayStation Store on PlayStation 3 consoles on 2nd July 2021 and on PlayStation Vita devices on 27th August 2021.”
“Additionally, the remaining purchase functionality for PSP will also retire on 2nd July 2021.”
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TRICKS CONTINUED – MUTE SHORTCUT
Silencing your console often involves physically muting the TV you’re playing on.
But that’s not always ideal: maybe the remote is out of reach, or maybe you’re connected with wireless headphones.
Whatever the reason, it’s actually possible to mute the PS5’s system audio with the DualSense controller.
Hold the microphone-mute button down to mute audio. An orange light will glow to confirm that mute is on.
The same trick will unmute the console.
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CONTROLLER TRICKS
Post continued…
Turn off your controller manually.
You can also hold the PlayStation button for other shortcuts.
Pressing it down for about 10 seconds switches off your controller manually.
This is a quick and easy way to save battery if you’re stepping away from your console for a while.
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GENIUS PS5 TRICKS
It might be nigh on impossible to get your hands on a PlayStation 5 but for those who have, there’s a tonne of useful tricks to learn.
From dodging game spoilers to tracking your playtime, here are a few hidden settings and features on Sony’s next-generation console.
Hold the PlayStation button to go home
There’s a quick and easy way to get straight to your PlayStation’s home screen.
While pressing the PlayStation button opens the control centre, holding it down takes you to the console’s dashboard. Hold the button for about five seconds to activate the shortcut.
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WHAT IS E3 2021?
E3 is the Electronic Entertainment Expo, a major trade event for the video game industry.
Until 2017, it was an industry-only event for developers, publishers, manufacturers, media and the like.
But it’s since become a major public spectacle with general gaming fans given access too.
Last year saw E3 totally cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Thankfully E3 is returning for 2021 – albeit in a virtual-only capacity.
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SMYTHS PS5 RESTOCK
Smyths Toys has confirmed that they’re expecting more PS5 stock in April.
It had previously been claimed that Smyths could be getting a PS5 restock towards the end of last week.
The @PS5Instant Twitter posted: “Very stock release this week (9-11am). AO phone orders for #PS5 in a few days. Smyths end of week. GAME expected 7th to 14th (9-10am) & Argos 8th to 15th (1-4am)”.
However, a recent update from the account said: “#PS5 won’t be released till next week, later half of my 8-15th date.”
“As most retailers re-open Monday & are busy setting up. Stock will still be sold online due to Sony’s COVID policy.”
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VIDEO GAME UNDER CRITICISM
A controversial video game set during the Iraq War’s bloodiest battle has come under fresh criticism ahead of its release this year.
A prominent Muslim advocacy group has called on PlayStation and Xbox to ban Six Days in Fallujah, branding the game an “Arab murder simulator”.
Developed by Highware Games, Six Days in Fallujah has repeatedly come under fire over what some see as an attempt to glorify a violent and tragic battle.
In a statement this week, The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) dragged the game’s contentious subject matter back into the spotlight again.
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IS IT NOW HARDER TO GET AN XBOX THAN A PS5?
PS5’s have been notoriously difficult to get hold of but a report now suggests it’s actually harder to lay your hands on an XBox.
Tech Radar reports that their Xbox restock tracker, Matt Swider, has noted that Best Buy, Target and GameStop had zero consoles to ship in recent weeks, according to his warehouse sources.
The site says: “Xbox Series X restock dates have become scarce like the Microsoft console itself with many retailers in the US favouring other systems: Xbox Series S and PS5 restock.”
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SONY REVEALS MOST POPULAR GAMES IN PLAYSTATION STORE
Sony has revealed the most popular games in the PlayStation Store for March.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was the most popular game for PS5 on the PlayStation Store in the US while FIFA 21 was tops in Europe.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales came in second in the US and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War took that slot in Europe, according to VG24/7.
NBA 2K21 was third in the US, while newcomer It Takes Two was the third most popular title in Europe.
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REMAKE OF THE LAST OF US REPORTS GET BACKLASH FROM FANS
Reports that Naughty Dog was in the process of a remake of The Last of Us faced a backlash from fans, according to reports.
Fans of the game appear to like it just the way it is and voiced their worries on social media, according to Comic Book.
It remains to be seen if Naughty Dog and PlayStation actually ever end up releasing a remake of The Last of Us, but according to most fans, the developer should move on to working on something else.
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MASS EFFECT LEGENDARY EDITION GOES GOLD
Mass Effect Legendary Edition has now gone gold, meaning the remastered collection of the original trilogy is ready for release.
The announcement came from Mac Walters, the Project Director of Mass Effect Legendary Edition at BioWare, who revealed the news on his own Twitter account.
One major focus of remastering the trilogy has been combat tuning, according to The Sixth Axis.
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FIXES FOR DISCO ELYSIUM COMING
The developer of Disco Elysium has promised a variety of fixes and improvements for the PlayStation versions of its game.
“Maybe blame it on the Doomed Commercial Area, birthplace of doomed dreams, resting place for every venture,” developer ZA/UM wrote in a blog post.
“Blame it on an incursion of the apocalypse in a localized space, or whatever Tequila Sunset hits you with. Blame it on a call to Abigail.
“Or just blame it on us. Because it is our fault, that’s true. We’re all just human beings dreaming big, and not always making those dreams come true like we hope. But we’re going to try anyway, and try again, until we get it right. And we will.”
No official date has been given for the fix.
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PS5 CONTINUES TO BREAK RECORDS
The PS5 has already sold more than Wii U, PS Vita, and Dreamcast in the UK.
This titbit of information was dropped on Twitter by Christopher Dring, who is the Editor-in-Chief of GamesIndustry.biz, an industry-focused games website.
Estimates by VGChartz put the PS5’s total worldwide sales at just shy of 7 million units, which is impressive for a supply-constrained games console that has only been on sale for five months.
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PLAYSTATION COULD BE LOOKING TO BOOST ITS MOBILE GAMING
PlayStation could be planning to develop and expand its mobile gaming offering, if a recent PlayStation Studios job listing is anything to go by.
The job listing, shared on the ResetEra forums (via IGN), is for a new Head of Mobile at PlayStation Studios, reports Tech Radar.
According to the job description, Sony Interactive Entertainment is looking for someone based in San Mateo or Los Angeles to “own and develop the mobile games strategy for PlayStation Studios” and be “responsible for building and scaling a team of mobile leaders and will serve as the Head of this new business unit within PlayStation Studios.”
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OUTRIDERS PATCH ARRIVES EARLY FOR PLAYSTATION
A patch for Outriders has arrived earlier than expected for PC and PlayStation consoles.
It fixes some bugs as well as some crossplay issues, according to Tech Radar.
Although Xbox gamers will have to wait for theirs.
Square Enix states: “We are hoping to have this patch ready for Xbox very soon and will update you the moment we have news.”
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NEW PS5 STOCK ‘WON’T BE RELEASED TILL NEXT WEEK’ SAYS STOCK TRACKER SITE
Fresh PS5 stock “won’t be released till next week”, according to @PS5Instant.
They tweeted that this coincided with an earlier tip that the next-gen consoles would be available from April 8-15.
With the UK easing out of its Covid lockdown, and non-essential shops reopening for the first time on April 12, tech stores are “busy setting up” for the big day.
However, “stock will still be sold online due to Sony’s Covid policy,” the account added.
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PLAYSTATION RUMOURED TO BE CREATING GAME PASS COMPETITOR
PlayStation is said to be nearer to creating a competitor to Game Pass.
When asked about a potentially similar service for PlayStation last November, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said, “There is actually news to come, but just not today.”
Now, in a video posted to his YouTube channel, David Jaffe, who created the God of War series and co-created Twisted Metal, said that “there will be a response to Game Pass,” according to his sources at Sony, reports The Direct.
Jaffe said: “What I can tell you is I know they are doing some stuff because I know people at Sony who have told me that they are doing some stuff … There will be a response to Game Pass.”
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TWITTER RUMOURS SUGGEST ‘DOUBLE STOCK DROP’ TO COME AT AMAZON AT END OF APRIL
Amazon customers will get two chances to buy consoles in the coming weeks, according to Twitter rumours.
Two new shipments are tipped to be arriving in April.
“Amazon has two shipments this month.”, claimed the PS5Instant Twitter account.
