PS5 Stock Drops in Australia Appear to Be Getting Longer, and We’re on the Case

PS5 Stock Drops in Australia Appear to Be Getting Longer, and We’re on the Case

After a brief silence during June, regular PS5 console stock drops returned to retailers in Australia this week. However, there was something about their return that was different. If I noticed it, maybe you did too. But in case you didn’t: they’re sticking around longer than before.

EB Games had its first big drop in quite a while this week, and stock stayed available for as long as two hours before they were reportedly sold out. As PS5 drops go, two hours might as well be an eternity.

However Big W, a company well known for underordering stock, somehow had that beat on Thursday. Big W’s drop ran almost three hours before selling out. We were offsite at a work event and unable to report on it at the time, but we kept a wary eye on it throughout.

So what can we draw from this relatively small sample size of two? Honestly, probably not that much. It’s almost certainly premature to draw any hard conclusions here. However, to quote the great Dr. Doofenschmirtz, that isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice. Could it spell a change in the wind? After two and a half years of minutes-long drops and frantic scrambles to buy hardware, have enough people finally secured a PS5 that drops can last that little bit longer? One can only hope.

On the other hand, maybe it’s the result of solid process. Both Big W and EB Games, as we know, implemented systems around PS5 drops that keep console scalpers and bots at bay. Doesn’t feel like a stretch to say we’re seeing those rules in action here. Fewer consoles finding their way into the hands of the resale market and more going to genuine customers.

With the threat of a third Christmas full of hardware shortages looking more and more likely, longer drop windows constitute progress. I’ll take it.

Of course, over at Amazon Australia, PS5 stock drops timed to coincide with its Prime Day sale sold out in minutes as usual. So, look, maybe it’s not all good news just yet. But there’s a ray of sunshine that’s broken through the clouds and I’m going to hold onto that. Happy Monday.


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