PS5 restock disaster — GameStop shoppers furious over botched bundles

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GameStop released a fresh wave of PS5 stock yesterday, and to nobody's surprise it did not run smoothly. The fresh stock went in seconds as the gaming retailer struggled to cope with demand. 

The GameStop website buckled under the strain of thousands of eager gamers competing to grab the limited stock. And some customers reported that by the time the retailer sent out a restock tweet, there weren’t any PS5s left to purchase. 

Further exacerbating the problem is that GameStop has yet to put restrictions in place that limit the number of units customers can buy. As the average person typically only wants a single PS5, not placing a limit of one per customer only serves to benefit scalpers. 

GameStop has also come under fire for bundling the PS5 along with games/accessories, and not allowing customers the opportunity to buy the console standalone. Though, at this point, even managing to buy a PS5 bundle is proving to be a herculean task. 

This is far from the first time a restock of the in-demand next-gen system has gone poorly, but the reaction on social media to this latest disaster was not pleasant, to say the least. 

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One user on Twitter declared GameStop “ the worst website when it comes to purchasing consoles” dubbing the situation “embarrassing.” Another user pointed out that by the time GameStop had tweeted, the bundles were already gone. 

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The retailer did drop some Xbox Series X bundles at the same time which were reportedly easier to get hold of (assuming you could get onto the site itself of course), but that’s little comfort to PlayStation fans who have spent the last three months desperately trying to score a PS5. 

With demand still soaring and production woes likely to continue, this is undoubtedly not the last time we’re going to hear about a retailer flubbing a console restock. 

If you’re still on the hunt for Sony's next-gen machine, why not check out our guide on where to buy a PS5 and read our PS5 review to hear whether we think it’s worth all this hassle. 

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.