As sales of Sony’s brand new next generation console rally up and stocks fly off shelves we’ve put together a guide detailing how to get a PS4 before Christmas.
There’s something incredibly special about the holiday season. It’s not just the air of festive celebration as everyone becomes positively giddy over the idea of heart-warming gifts and warm Winter cheer, what also makes the time unique is that ordinary consumers become rabid shoppers in the face of just a faint dusting of snow as they race to the tills to buy the best gift for their loved ones. That behaviour is no more present than the holiday season of 2013 where everyone is particularly hasty with their money as they try and buy new games console. Problems arise, of course, due to a lack of stock, but this guide, detailing how to get a PS4 before Christmas, may make that pre-Christmas shop just a little bit easier.
1. Amazon
When the time for PS4 pre-orders was first announced, Amazon were one of the first to sell out, with people being particularly fond of the guarantee that having things delivered to your door provides. However, recently, Jeff Bezos’ popular online retailer was granted more stock by Sony, offering standalone PS4 consoles for the retail price of $399. Due to demand, this stock will likely fly out of Amazon’s warehouse like a magpie spotting a giant chrome building block, but if you’re hasty enough, you may be able to order one in time for Christmas.
2. Asda
Also a veritable hotspot for PS4 pickups, UK supermarket Asda may well have sold more PS4s than it did groceries in the week following the console’s 29th of November release date in the region, but as of writing (Monday the 16th of December) Asda stores around the UK are being stocked up with PS4s again, reportedly ready to go out on store shelves tomorrow (Tuesday the 17th of December). However once again, while Sony have granted them more consoles, these stocks are limited and some sites are recommending that you show up at Asda prior to the store’s opening in order to increase you chances of getting one.
3. O2
It seems like the UK really lucked out this time as phone network O2 also have a deal on to satisfy those looing for a new mobile handset and a next-gen console too. Sony are using it as a way to provide an extra boost to their phone business, seeing the limited amounts of O2’s PS4 stock being offered alongside 12 months of PS Plus (the paid Sony service that grants PS4 users access to online multiplayer), a copy of Killzone Shadow Fall and a Sony Xperia X1 smartphone with unlimited texts, minutes and 1GB of data. The offer doesn’t come cheap, however, as it’ll set you back by £89.99 (an upfront fee) as well £52 a month. It’s also worth nothing that despite O2 being a Telefonica owned company (Telefonica are based in the Americas), it seems that the UK are the only region being offered the deal, so it’s unlikely to cross the pond.
4. Ebay
While it may seem like an obvious choice, Ebay’s popularity in the UK and Stateside (and just about everywhere else that the website is available) means hat there are plenty of chances for plenty of people to be scammed, especially when buying high ticket items like a PS4. Ebay is currently offering many models of the PS4 by resellers who are looking to make a profit and therefore it will cost you quite a bit but the cost may extend to further than money, potentially resulting in disappointment too. There are a few products on Ebay which you can take your chances with, but if you’re buying a PS4 from a seller on the site, do your research, especially checking the following: the seller’s rating, the description of the listing (including fine prints) and if possible, also read reviews by other people who have bought that product/other products from that seller, to decrease the likelihood that you end up like the man who bought an Xbox One for nearly twice the retail price, only to discover that he’d ordered a piece of paper with the image of an Xbox One printed on it.
5. Now In Stock
It’s all well and good to do the research yourself to be sure, but to have extra eyes and ears on the ground, Now In Stock is a website that can provide you with up to the minute (quite literally – the site auto-refreshes every minute) PS4 stock news, to at least point you in the right research direction. It also provides location specific trackers whether you’re in the US, Canada or the UK and you can set up browser or text alerts too, making it a valuable asset during the hunt for to buy a PS4 in time for Christmas. Visit Now In Stock’s PS4 stock tracker here.
Have any more tips on how to get a PS4 before Christmas? Leave a comment and let us know.
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