Buzz
Despite being on the market for a full year, the PlayStation 5 remains incredibly hard to find. This scarcity stems from supply chain challenges and heightened demand—both reasonable factors—but a third culprit exacerbates the issue: scalpers.
To counter resellers who use automated bots to hoard consoles and sell them at exorbitant prices, many retailers are now offering early access to customers willing to pay for the privilege. This creates a lose-lose scenario: while bot-users are clearly problematic, the retailers' solutions are hardly any better.
Some retailers handle the situation more fairly—PlayStation Direct, for example, allows free registration for a chance to buy a PS5, enforces a one-console-per-person limit, and verifies purchases using your PSN ID. However, many others are locking PS5s behind paywalls. Walmart, for instance, grants timed-exclusive access to Walmart Plus members, who pay $100 annually for perks like early Black Friday shopping, free delivery, and more. Similarly, Best Buy reserves some PS5 stock for Total Tech members, who shell out $200 a year for tech support and delivery services.
The value of these programs largely depends on how frequently you shop at these stores, but if you’re joining solely to purchase a PlayStation 5, you’re signaling to retailers that they can profit by making products harder to obtain rather than easier. Even then, there’s no guarantee you’ll secure a console—you’re merely paying for the opportunity to buy one, akin to the most disappointing lottery ever. And to make matters worse, it likely won’t deter bot-users at all.
These paywalls are nearly as problematic as the bots
It’s unclear how effective these membership programs will be in helping consumers secure their desired console. While they might improve your odds slightly, the overwhelming demand and limited supply (assuming reports are accurate) mean luck still plays a major role. Considering the outrageous markup on PlayStation 5s—the base model sells for $399 but is currently fetching around $650 on eBay with numerous bids—it’s possible that bot-users could justify paying $100 memberships repeatedly, even if they don’t always succeed in purchasing consoles. After all, resale prices are unlikely to drop before the holiday season.
Don’t fuel these “clubs” with your money
Even if subscribing to multiple paywalls boosts your chances of landing a PS5 this year, can you honestly feel good about participating in such a flawed system? Will you proudly flash your Best Buy card, convincing yourself their tech support justifies the cost? Perhaps you might as well wear a shirt declaring yourself “another cog in the machine” while you’re at it.
Any surge in club membership profits tied to the PlayStation 5 will likely be factored into retailers' future earnings projections, incentivizing them to artificially create or exaggerate shortages for the PS6 in 2029. Essentially, you’re sabotaging future-you’s chance to enjoy Call of Duty: Tampa, Florida. (set in 2025, and it’s a disaster).
Forget it—embrace the past instead
While I wouldn’t recommend abandoning hobbies that don’t involve spending money on corporate giants, I do advise patience. And I’m not talking about waiting until after the holidays—I mean waiting for years.
Picture this: if you had completely ignored all gaming advancements post-2006, you’d now be thrilled to pick up a PlayStation 3 or 4. These consoles are dirt cheap, as are their games, and you’d have access to over 2,000 “launch” titles. If you’re not a serious gamer (or your kids are still young), diving into older systems is a fantastic starting point.
The key is to immerse yourself in the virtual past. (Why stop there? Visit the library and read old newspapers on microfiche. Start calling everything “crunk.” I’ll be elaborating on these brilliant money-saving gaming strategies in a nationwide lecture and slideshow tour in 2005. Thank you for your support.) (But seriously, these paywall clubs can go to hell.)
