Figuring out where to buy the next generation of gaming consoles has been an absolute nightmare since the first pre-orders began. Demand is high and you are forced to battle bots that buy up inventory before you even have a chance to click "add to cart."

We're constantly updating our guides on where to buy the PS5 and where to buy the Xbox Series X, but there's one more weapon you should have: Twitter.

Twitter is full of accounts that are sending out information around the world, including an inventory checker that announces when and where inventory is available. Following these accounts is invaluable, as every second counts when it comes to beating the competition and getting your hands on a new console.

Unfortunately, major retailers are not in the habit of announcing when new game consoles are in stock, and neither are Sony and Microsoft. Smaller local retailers may be more inclined to tell the world about new products. However, most would need to follow up with a dedicated inventory check account.

There is no shortage of accounts that track PS5 comings and goings; a simple search on Twitter for "PS5 stock" will yield more stock-checking accounts than one could possibly check alone.

Before you add followers to anyone, check the account's tweet history to see how often they actually post stock price updates. After all, you don't want to put all your trust in one or two accounts that are often late to the party. With that in mind, it is worth following multiple accounts to have the best chance of seeing alerts before the stock runs out.

Some trackers are better than others, and we recommend following @PS5StockAlerts, @GYXdeals, @PS5Drop, @Wario64, etc. The official PlayStation Twitter account is also worth following, as it is a great way to keep up with the latest news from the PlayStation Store.

These accounts generally focus on U.S.-based retailers, but some also cover international retailers. Our advice would be to search Twitter for accounts that check inventory in your country using words like "PS5 stock UK," "PS5 stock Canada," etc.

As with the PS5, there is no shortage of accounts checking Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S inventory; a search for "Xbox stock" will bring up a huge number of accounts.

As with the PS5, we recommend following the numerous accounts that actually post regular updates. That way you have the best chance of getting the console before bots and other desperate gamers buy it up.

@Wario64 is one of the best accounts to monitor both Xbox consoles, as is @GYXDeals; the official Xbox account may also be worth your time in case there are any announcements.

It is worth pointing out that all of these accounts post inexpensive Series S and Series X updates.

It's not just next-gen consoles that are highly sought after right now; PC gamers will know the pain of trying to get the latest graphics cards.

The good news here is that some of these accounts cover all kinds of gaming hardware, including GPUs; if you're looking for where to buy an Nvidia RTX 3080, look for some of these Twitter accounts. It would be worthwhile.