PlayStation Portal restock: experts track when Sony, Target and Walmart will be in stock
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PlayStation Portal restock: experts track when Sony, Target and Walmart will be in stock
Finding the next Sony PlayStation Portal remote player restock isn't as difficult as it looks, thanks to our in-stock tracking efforts and news
Update: The hottest PlayStation product of 2023, the Sony PlayStation Portal remote player for PS5, continues to be sold out in the US. But out restock tracker has update news on when and where you can buy it in December, including stores like Target, Amazon, Walmart and Sony.
Good news: my PlayStation Portal restock expertise has helped thousands of people buy PS5 remote player accessory in November. Bad news: Sony has failed to produce enough of them and hundreds of thousands more people want one in December.
Follow my PlayStation Portal restock tracker on Twitter – follow and turn on notifications – to get real-time alerts when it’s in stock.
Check the PlayStation Portal restock links
PlayStation Portal at Walmart (sometimes goes to a blank page, but this is the secret link to check daily)
There’s hope: Target Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon have had very limited stock of the PlayStation Portal over the last two weeks and I’ve been able to send out alerts news alerts to every single one of those restock opportunities. I can tell you when and where the PlayStation Portal will be in stock next.
We broke the news that PlayStation Portal would be in stock for $199 in the US at Walmart, and sure enough Walmart, Target and Best Buy had the PS Portal in stock very briefly at the tail end of Cyber Monday. But they sold out within minutes. Only Best Buy has had sporadic, region-dependent restocks in recent days. When the Sony PlayStation Portal is in stock at only a few stores, it becomes difficult to send out a nationwide restock tracker alert to everyone without dashing hopes.
Like our PS5 restock coverage, we’re noticing that retailers in the US just aren’t very prepared to allow as massive number of people to buy this PlayStation 5 accessory. The Walmart PlayStation Portal restock, for example, fluctuated between $199 and $499 when thousands of people tried to find the Portal in stock. Third-party sellers swooped in to wreck havoc when certain areas of the US where out of stock – but others still showed it in stock for $199, which confused a lot of people.
Each store in the US that’s a part of The Shortcut’s fact-checked PlayStation Portal list has sold the handheld to consumers multiple times this month. However, November demand for the $199 gaming accessory has outstripped supply, and Sony is having a hard time keeping up. Target stores in the US have had the most inventory, while Walmart and Amazon seem to be the most due to release their backed up Portals.
PlayStation Portal restock expertise
Our PlayStation Portal guide is based on our years of tracking down Sony products, with a proven track record throughout of PS5 restock coverage. That propelled The Shortcut to offer expertise on tracking all sorts of hard-to-find technology.
We’ll know when and where the PS Portal will be in stock before Christmas. Retailers are holding back, starting with Walmart.
Walmart PlayStation Portal restock
We nailed the Walmart PlayStation Portal restock at the end of Cyber Monday, as our trusted reporting turned out to be correct. However, while PS Portal was in stock, it was brief and we know that America’s largest retailer has more to put on sale.
Yes, there’s good evidence that Walmart will hold another PlayStation Portal restock before Christmas. There have been rumors that Walmart has been holding back on launching its inventory of the Sony handheld accessory. While this news hasn’t been officially announced, Walmart did this same exact thing when the PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles were difficult to find in stock. It would release them in waves.
What’s interesting is that Walmart sometimes pulls its retail sales page for the Sony PlayStation Portal. That’s right, a landing page doesn’t even exist at times, according to The Shortcut’s tracking data (we saved the link for when it pops back up). So while it wasn’t officially a part of the Walmart+ sales on Black Friday, there’s a very good chance that it’ll suddenly appear to attract new subscribers to Walmart’s service.
We’ll continue to check Walmart for the PlayStation Portal as the retailer will launch its end-of-year deals in December.
Target PlayStation Portal restock
Target has restocked the PlayStation Portal locally throughout the US at a handful of retail locations. But it’s only a few units at select stores. Your best bet is to check the online store each morning, especially between 7am to 8am ET. Like Walmart, Target may be using the PlayStation Portal to lure customers to its online store to shop other Cyber Monday deals. Target favors online purchases of rare products in the mornings, according to our PS5 restock experience. This avoids people from coming into physical Target store locations when hard-to-find products are not in stock.
The best advice we can give you about Target is what for the Matt Swider Twitter/X notification about when and where to find the PlayStation Portal in stock and, when checking out online for in-store pickup, try different store locations in your area. Oftentimes PlayStation consoles and PS5 accessories are sold out at your closest location, while bigger stores a but further away receive more inventory.
Amazon PlayStation Portal restock
Amazon did launch a bunch of PlayStation Portal sales on November 15, when Sony launched its PS5-required handheld. But there’s good reason to believe that the online retailer is holding back on its full inventory. Amazon is known to boldly tie sales of its most rare products to Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. With Cyber Monday coming up, it could do much the same.
It’s pretty clever. If Amazon makes PlayStation Portal available to buy between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, customers will be quick to check out with the handheld – and everything else in their shopping cart. This was a huge win for Amazon during the PS5 and Xbox Series X drought in 2021 and 2022. Expect nothing different since the PlayStation Portal is showing signs of being sold out for the remainder of 2023.
Best Buy PlayStation Portal restock
Best Buy has had the most frequent PlayStation Portal restocks of any US retailer, and it was on sale very briefly this morning at 1am ET. That’s when Best Buy refreshes its daily deals since the retail giant is based in Central Time in the United States. But inventory of the PlayStation Portal was sold out before most people could buy it.
As evidenced by our own failed attempt to buy the PlayStation Portal from Best Buy, you’ll want to make sure you’re logged in and ready for a 2FA code from the retailer. This is the stumbling block of many consumers who need to be quick in order to secure the handheld PS5 remote player.
But also note that Best Buy has had these overnight PlayStation Portal restocks, and in recent days, we can’t find evidence of anyone who has successfully checked out with the PS5 remote player. In other words, the yellow add-to-cart button is lighting up and then it’s instantly out of stock.
Sony Direct PlayStation Portal restock
Sony Direct is promising more PlayStation Portal stock in early December, and while the exact date isn’t known, this is a promising fact. If you’re quick enough, you’ll be able to buy the PS Portal before Christmas.
There may be a lot of PlayStation Portal stock, too. When pre-orders launched, the official Sony store was the only place to reserve the PS5 Portal at $199. Sony initially shut out online retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Like we began to see with the PS5 Slim and PS5 Digital initially, Sony would rather sell to PlayStation customers directly and seems to be hogging inventory.
Because of this, our restock experts know that if Sony Direct is out of stock of the PlayStation Portal, supply must be extremely limited. Still, it’s worth checking Sony Direct daily, as the company would love to sell the PS5 accessories to you without involving other online retailers that get a cut of the $199 price.
How much is PlayStation Portal?
PlayStation Portal costs $199 in the US. That’s been the price at Walmart, Target, Amazon, Sony and Best Buy, although third-party retailers are known for charging more money for the hard-to-find PS5 remote player. The good news is that following our expert advice on each PlayStation “portable” restock should be able to score you the hottest PS5 accessory before the holidays.
At $199, PlayStation Portal is the perfect price for a “big gift” for existing PS5 owners who want the next big technology from Sony. It plays PlayStatin 5 games away from the primary television (but still requires a powered-on PS5 console and steady WiFi connection, so don’t expect it to work well outside the house) and cost the perfect amount for most American consumers. The PlayStation Portal is almost guaranteed to be something that techies don’t own yet, so it’s an easy product for parents to buy.
Why is PlayStation Portal sold out?
PlayStation Portal is often out of stock at US retailers because demand is strong and the price is reasonable for consumers looking to gift something to PS5 owners. It’s not as popular as the PS5 console was in 2020 and 2021, but Sony’s 2023 handheld is seeing both consumers and resellers interested in scooping up the PS Portal.
There’s also the fact that some stores may be holding onto their inventory for Cyber Monday sales. Walmart, for example, has been known to save consoles for its annual Walmart+ Cyber Monday sale – and that’s happening today. It makes a lot of sense because in-demand products get a lot of eyeballs on other deals on their storefronts.
PlayStation Portal restock: experts track when Sony, Target and Walmart will be in stock
I did end up getting one at Best Buy, checked out, got a confirmation email only to get another email a few moments later stating the item was unavailable and my order would be cancelled in a week if Best Buy was not able to get the order fulfilled. So disappointing. There was no option for shipping- only order pickup
Thanks guys! Can't wait to get my hands on one of these!