Sony’s highly-anticipated PlayStation 5 console is finally available for purchase at Walmart, but the retail giant’s website crashed within minutes of the release -sparking fury among gamers.
Consumers flocked to the website to claim their system, only to find either an error on the site or the item had been removed from their cart and ‘is no longer available.’
The PS5 is available in waves at Walmart.com, 12pm ET, 3pm, 6pm and 9pm, and is offering a limited number of units for each slot.
However, users who made it through the payment step were still unable to complete the purchase, as the item mysteriously disappeared from their cart at checkout.
Walmart is not the only store that has been bombarded with orders, as Best Buy and PC Richards are also out of stock.
Scroll down for video
Sony’s highly-anticipated PlayStation 5 console is finally available for purchase at Walmart , but the retail giant’s website has crashed – sparking fury among gamers
Sony unveiled the new console in September during a live stream presentation titled ‘The Future of Gaming,’ which revealed pricing and release dates.
And the day has finally come, but it seems retails stores were not prepared for the demand.
Sam’s Club, Best Buy, Target, PC Richards and Walmart are among the companies selling units starting today on a rolling basis.
Walmart’s first wave was out of stock within a few minutes, leaving many customers furious – some of which are even blaming it on bots.
The PS5 is available in waves at Walmart.com, 12pm ET, 3pm, 6pm and 9pm, and is offering a limited number of units for each slot.
Consumers flocked to the website to claim their system, only to find either an error on the site or the item had been removed from their cart and ‘is no longer available’
Twitter user Austin shared: ‘No, we have no chance. Your site is hacked by bots that buy it out the second they go on sale, just to scalp it on ebay.
‘Quit trying to hype us up when we have no chance. I had it in my cart and your site crashed. You’re making all of your customers pissed off.’
Users posted up at their computers as they counted down the seconds to 12pm.
Many of them smiled as they added the PS5 to their cart, but when they went to their cart to check out, the item had disappeared.
Walmart’s first wave appears to be out of stock, leaving many customers furious – some have even blamed it on bots
Users posted up at their computers as they counted down the seconds to 12pm. Many of them smiled as they added the PS5 to their cart, but when they went to their cart to check out the item had disappeared
Daniel Jackson was one of this unlucky customers and took to Twitter to share the experience.
‘Well @Walmart crashed, let me add the PS5 to my cart, get to check out, then they took it out of my cart saying it was no longer available,’ he wrote in a tweet.
Other customers claim the retail giant allowed ‘scalpers’ to purchase numerous consoles, which they will sell for a profit.
Walmart has updated its site to prepare customers for the next wave
‘We’re restocking our shelves. This item will be back at 3pm ET,’ the notification reads.
In just minutes after the first waves was unleashed, users who made it through the payment step were still unable to complete the purchase
Other customers claim the retail giant allowed ‘scalpers’ to purchase numerous consoles, which they will sell for a profit
It has been a messy rollout for Sony, as minutes after unveil its PS5 in September retailers opened pre-orders of the console one day earlier than expected – creating a buying frenzy among the gaming community.
Gamers around the world ran to their computers, smartphones and tablets to reserve a console, but many were met with broken links, page time outs and the dreaded ‘out of stock’ message.
Major retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop and Walmart were all sold out within hours, some even in minutes.
PlayStation 5 pre-orders were not set to open until Thursday, September 17, as the gaming system shared a tweet shortly after the event: ‘PS5 pre-orders will be available starting as early as tomorrow at select retailers.’
However, many retailers seemed to jump the gun and offer the gaming console earlier- even without having any physical systems.
GameStop shared a news release stating it was now taking pre-orders for the PS5 Wednesday evening and quickly ran out of stock.
Th console with a disc drive costs $499 and the digital edition $399.
The sleek, white system stands upright and comes with black trimming, but some have said a black model will make its way to market as well.
One model will include a standard a disc drive, while a second option, called ‘PlayStation 5 Digital Edition,’ will lack a disc drive and likely only play games downloaded over the internet but not physical discs bought in stores.
Walmart has updated its site saying ‘We’re restocking our shelves. This item will be back at 3pm ET’
‘We’re pleased to provide choice to gamers with two PS5 console options at launch, depending on if you want a digital-only experience or prefer disc-based gaming. Whichever PS5 you choose, you’ll enjoy the same breathtaking, next-gen gaming experiences, Sony shared in a blog post.
‘Both PS5 models use the same custom processor with integrated CPU and GPU for high-fidelity visuals, including 4K graphics and ray-tracing support, as well as the same ultra-high-speed SSD with integrated I/O for lightning-fast loading. PS5’s 3D audio and the DualSense Wireless Controller will also provide the same heightened sense of immersion on all PS5s.’