Category: Video Games

This console generation — the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and (kind of) Nintendo Switch OLED — has been an unusual one, to put it mildly. Finding current-gen consoles in stock, either in brick-and-mortar stores or online, has been far more difficult than usual. For the average consumer, the PS5 in particular was nearly impossible to find in stock at pretty much any point over the past two years.

Sony recently said the PS5 shortage is essentially over, and we’re finally seeing that bear out. Right now, you can order all of the latest game consoles at one retailer or another, and they will ship almost immediately. It’s about time.

Where to Buy Current-Gen Consoles

Naturally, there are a couple of caveats. For the PS5 disc edition, the only SKU that’s currently available is the one that comes with God of War: Ragnarok and costs $559. Back in the old days, game pack-ins came at no additional cost, but those days are over. (Thankfully, it’s a great game; see our 10/10 God of War Ragnarok review). And the PS5 Digital Edition isn’t as widely available as the disc version. It still requires you to request an invitation to order from Amazon, or it ships out in a week from Walmart.

Still, it’s a rare thing to see all models of all the current consoles available to purchase online without any major delays. Let’s hope it stays this way.

I suspect several factors are at play here. By all accounts, the chip shortages that kept these machines scarce before are finally easing up. It’s also likely that demand for these machines is slowing down, as usually happens in the first quarter of the year.

All of which is to say, if you’ve been looking for a new console over the past couple of years and have struggled to find it in stock, this is good news. Now the question is whether stock will stay this easy to find going forward. We can only hope.

Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed or on Mastodon @chrislreed.

While there are clearly many millions of players who have secured their own PS5 and Xbox, lots are still looking. Whether you are trying to figure out which outlets have them available, which console and accessories you should actually buy, and what the pros and cons for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are, we’ve got you covered. Read on to find all that and more.

Where to Buy a PS5

Walmart has PlayStations available right now, while Amazon is still requiring you to apply for an invitation. However, the turnaround for those invitations is getting faster and faster.

Where to Buy Xbox Series X

Should I Buy a PS5 or an Xbox?

That’s a complicated question that has a lot of answers. First, what types of games do you like? If you like single-player games with more serious tones, PlayStation arguably has the lead (at least right now), although some feel that there is a degree of “same-ness” to them, which is something to keep an eye on.

Xbox currently has what some consider to be less compelling single-player exclusives, but Xbox is arguably better for those who love multiplayer games, with better chat integration, cross-platform functionality with PC, and several exclusive games that feature multiplayer prominently. PlayStation 5 has some of the most celebrated and popular exclusive franchises, like Last of Us and God of War, while Xbox has heavy hitters like Halo, Forza and Flight Simulator, to name a few.

You should also keep in mind how important multiplayer games are to you on a friend level. Do your friends all have PS4/PS5, and you will play games with them regularly? You should probably get a PS5 and stick together. Same goes for Xbox. If your Destiny clan or Call of Duty friend group is all on Xbox, you should probably stick together. If that isn’t important to you, look at the games that have come out, and the ones that are announced, and see which platform has more you are interested in.

Finally, a big factor is controller comfort. Personally, I’ve been a PlayStation guy for a long time, but I find the DualSense very uncomfortable, so I find myself playing much more often on PC or Xbox using the (for me) vastly superior Xbox Series X/S controller. There are workarounds for this if you want to stick with a particular platform (like a Brooks converter), but those can introduce input latency, so keep that in mind as you weigh your options. But again, it mostly comes down to personal preference. The DualSense has some pretty cool haptic feedback, which has to be experienced to be truly appreciated, but it comes at the expense of battery life.

Services are another huge contributing factor to which platform is superior. Personally, I’m squarely in the Xbox Game Pass camp. With every first-party Xbox game included, the ability to get a higher tier to play those games on PC too (with most save games moving back and forth with you), and an incredible swath of awesome AAA and indie games, it’s a value proposition that simply can’t be beaten. Xbox backward compatibility also reaches all the way back to the original console in some cases.

However, the success of Game Pass caused Sony to take notice, and it introduced new tiers to its PlayStation Plus service that introduce the first steps toward a “Game Pass-like” service on PlayStation. The PS5 features backward compatibility with basically every PS4 game, and signing up for PS Plus at the Premium tier gets you access to streaming PS3 games. It’s not as robust, or as simple, as Xbox Game Pass, but the newly revamped service is still in its early stages.

Exclusive games VS services. PlayStation’s popularity VS Xbox’s budget-friendly nature. There is a lot to consider, and you honestly can’t make a bad decision, regardless of which you choose.

What’s the Best 4K TV for Gaming?

There are tons of great gaming TVs, and right now the best is the LG C2 OLED Evo, but whether you want to spend a chunk of change and grab the best TV you can, or just get something you can use for less cash, we have tons of great recommendations.

Generally, you want to go for a TV that has a low input latency, a screen big enough for your play space, compatibility for high refresh rates and resolutions, and HDMI 2.1. If the screen has all of those, and the number and type of ports you need, you’re golden.

What PS5 Accessories Should I Get?

There are tons of great PS5 accessories that will help you make the most of your new console. From extra controllers to gaming headsets, high capacity internal NVMe drives, and more, we’ve got you covered.

What Xbox Accessories Should I Get?

There are tons of great Xbox Series X/S accessories, but here are some of the best. Whether you need a great chat headset for when you hop online with friends, new expansion cards to hold all your favorite games, racing or fighting game controllers, or controller charging stands, we’ve got everything you need to make your awesome Xbox experience even better.

Is the PS5 Shortage Over?

Essentially, yes. While PlayStation 5 has been tricky to acquire, there have been several avenues for those who have been keeping their head on a swivel.

Sony has also confirmed that it has sold over 30 million PS5 consoles, and Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan said, “Everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward.”

Brian Barnett writes reviews, guides, features, & more for IGN & GameSpot. You can get your fix of his antics on Twitter (@Ribnax) and Twitch (Ribnax) or check out his fantastic video game talk show, The Platformers, on Twitch & Apple Podcasts.

Turtle Rock Studios announced that it will not be adding any more content to Back 4 Blood and will be focusing on its next big game. The game has already received three expansions: Tunnels of Terror, Children of the Worm, and River of Blood.

“Turtle Rock Studios is actually pretty small for a studio making AAA games,” Turtle Rock Studios said in a statement. “We don’t have quite enough folks to continue working on Back 4 Blood content while we spin up another game – yes, another game! Given this, it’s time for us to put our heads down, get back in the lab, and get to work on the next big thing.”

Turtle Rock Studios continued, “While we may be a bit quieter in the short term we promise that we’ll be Back, bigger, bolder, and better than ever!

Turtle Rock Studios working on next game as it confirms Back 4 Blood won’t receive new content https://t.co/4zTLrAMSIQ pic.twitter.com/yn3dao6w7F

— Wario64 (@Wario64) February 2, 2023

The studio said that it will continue to support the game and noted that it is available to play via PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium as well as Xbox Game Pass.

Turtle Rock Studios was part of Valve until 2010 but was recently acquired by Tencent back in 2021.

In IGN’s Back 4 Blood review, we said, “Back 4 Blood doesn’t nail all the twists it attempts, but a creative card-based progression system, fantastic campaign, and lighthearted tone make it a fun spin on a familiar genre.”

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey