PS5 Scalpers Keep Getting Smarter
It is incredibly difficult for gamers to get their hands on a PlayStation 5 right now. The console is in short supply at retailers, and as a result, a huge secondary market has materialized to offer PS5s at insane prices. Some stores have taken to doing surprise drops of Sony's new machine to combat this, while others have tried to keep scalpers at bay using other tactics. But those looking to profit off of the PS5's scarcity aren't just sitting around waiting, hoping to nab a console or two they can resell. They're getting smarter, clearing out PS5 stock before retailers even know what hit them.
A new report from IGN details one recent example of this, shedding light on how a store called Argos managed to get outwitted by scalpers in the UK. According to the story, a new infusion of PlayStation 5 stock was due to hit the Argos website today, giving fans hope that they'd finally be able to land a console. When it came time to order, however, there was reportedly far less stock than was anticipated, meaning far fewer consoles made it into the hands of eager gamers. Soon after, it became apparent that a scalping collective called Express Notify had managed to access the stock early, buying many of those PS5s before anyone else had a shot at them.
How did this happen? As IGN put it, Express Notify somehow got access to PS5 links on the Argos website a day early. Once those links were shared in the Express Notify Discord channel — which members pay to access — those who were there got to work purchasing as many PlayStation 5s as they could. Argos apparently tried its best to render those links inoperable as soon as this issue was discovered. That didn't stop some PS5 consoles from making their way out the door, though. Some in the Express Notify Discord were able to buy multiple PS5s at once, which meant there were fewer machines to go around when they officially went on sale.
PlayStation 5 scalpers have been real thorns in the sides of those who simply want to purchase a console at retail price. Unfortunately, it's looking like it'll take a world awash in PS5s to dissuade scalpers from trying to make a quick buck. As time goes on and Sony is able to manufacture and distribute more stock, scalping should become less of an issue. Until then, it appears scalpers will keep discovering ways to make the PS5 hard to find.