PlayStation Portal will be in stock this week, according to Sony
Sony has confirmed that it will offer 'details on stock availability' of its PlayStation Portal remote player, which means it'll likely be on sale for a limited time
Updated news: Direct links to each store that could have the promised PlayStation Portal in stock this week have been added below.
Finding the PlayStation Portal in stock has been a challenge in the US, but there’s new hope for video game consumers who want the hot new PS5 remote player: Sony has confirmed that it will be available this week or, failing that, at the very least the company will have “more details about stock availability.”
“Please check back early December for more details on stock availability,” states Sony in a short message on its PlayStation Direct store. According to our data, that familiar message means a limited restock is very likely. Because “early December” officially ends on Thursday, December 15, 2023, there’s hope if you keep missing each and every PlayStation Portal restock notification I put out there through my trusted alerts on X.
Where PlayStation Portal may be in stock soon
PlayStation Portal at Walmart (sometimes goes to a blank page, but this is the secret link to check daily)
PlayStation Portal at Sony Direct (due to be in stock)
We may see other American retailers with new stock of the PlayStation Portal when PlayStation Direct sells out – in Sony’s world, it’s usually “our store eats first” and then it opens up things to retailers like Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon and GameStop. Sony has done this with PSVR 2, its cover plates and even new controller designs.
Target usually has morning restocks online for pickup at a limited number of stores, while Walmart has had a few restocks where only a handful of people could actually purchase the PlayStation Portal. Best Buy and GameStop often light up their add-to-cart buttons, acting as if it’s in stock, but don’t let PlayStation customers check out. It’s been more than frustrating for PlayStation gamers who want the PS Portal by Christmas time.
Growing trend for Sony PlayStation 5
The PS Portal remote player isn’t the only PlayStation device that’s out of stock in December. You won’t be able to find the PlayStation earbuds in stock, despite the fact that they were supposed to go on sale on December 6. Very few stores had them for sale – Best Buy and GameStop stocked them for just a few minutes last week.
That’s a big problem because PlayStation Portal lacks Bluetooth, and the only native way to get wireless audio is to buy Sony’s “special” earbuds. We can report that even people who successfully pre-ordered the earbuds have told The Shortcut their orders have been delayed. Our research has found very few people – outside of influencers – unboxing the buds.
Inventory issues have plagued Sony during this console generation, dating back to its PS5 restock drama that unfolded when the video game console first launched in November 2020. The company couldn’t keep up with demand for two years. So the console, the special earbuds and the PlayStation Portal have all been beset with issues. The only pieces of major PlayStation hardware that haven’t seen restock setbacks are the PSVR 2 headset that launched in February and Sony’s lineup of PS5 controllers.