Here's one retailer with PS5 restock — but there's a major catch

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By Rory Mellon
published

Don't open your wallet for this PS5 restock

Sony PS5 with PlayStation DualSense controller
(Image credit: Rokas Tenys | Shutterstock)

February has so far been a very quiet month for PS5 restocks, but there is one retailer that currently has the in demand gaming machine in stock and available for sale. However, in this instance we strongly advise against a purchase as there’s a major catch. 

Right now, HSN has PS5 bundles that start from $999 and go up to as much as $1,119. That’s already a fairly significant turn off as even the cheapest is twice the PS5 standalone price. For comparison, retailers such as GameStop that also bundle next-gen consoles with additional products usually keep packages below $800. 

Things get worse when you examine what’s actually in these bundles. They are all filled with undesirable extras including silicone controller skins, no-name-brand headsets and unofficial controller charging docks. Because these accessories are unbranded we can’t give an exact retail value, but we can confidently say these bundles are extremely overpriced.  

PS5 bundles at HSN

(Image credit: HSN)

Even more egregiously, every single bundle comes with two vouchers, a Family Game Services Software Voucher and a Game Essentials Software Voucher. The HSN website doesn’t list the value of these vouchers and it’s not clearly listed what they can actually be used for. These vouchers almost certainly can’t be used on the digital PlayStation Store, which begs the question why are they included? 

These are not the first rip-off PS5 bundles we’ve encountered, but these bundles are definitely some of the worst value we’ve seen to date. Considering the PS5 is now more than a year old, we had hoped that demand would have lessened enough for retailers to stop with this sort of nonsense. Unfortunately, it would appear that some are still hoping to profit off the scarcity surrounding the console. 

Based on the last few weeks, it seems that the PS5 is actually becoming harder to find once again after a period of increased availability over the holiday period. Hopefully this is just temporary and at some point this year buying a PS5 finally becomes a simple task, if only so retailers such as HSN can't pull anti-consumer stunts like this anymore. 

In the meantime, if you’re still desperately hunting for one of Sony’s next-gen gaming machines then don’t cave and buy ripoff bundles, bookmark our PS5 restock guide and we’ll alert you when there’s a restock so you don’t have to pay more than the standard retail price. 

PS5 restock tracker — stores to check

Rory Mellon
Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.