The current state of PS5 restocking can only be described as dire. Right now, purchasing Sony's next-generation console requires relentless tracking of retailer inventory drops for weeks, if not months in some cases. But U.S. lawmakers are trying to eradicate one of the biggest sources of restocking frustration.

A group of Democratic lawmakers plans to introduce the Stopping Grinch Bots Act. So-called "Grinch Bots" are automated tools programmed to buy up a store's online inventory, allowing them to checkout faster than the average consumer can keep up.

Most retailers have defensive systems in place to ensure that consoles are sold to real customers, but these systems are usually quite flimsy and can be easily circumvented. Most duff bots can easily bypass basic identity verification systems and can even check out using multiple accounts at once to circumvent retailers that have a limit of one customer for coveted items such as PS5.

The "Stopping Grinch Bots Act" aims to make automated bulk purchases a crime punishable by law. It would allow the Federal Trade Commission to take "action against bad actors," presumably resulting in hefty fines for violators. Nevertheless, it seems like a fairly appropriate punishment for a duffer to have his holiday ruined by spending it behind bars.

International retailers outside the U.S. have had little success in preventing scalper bots without resorting to mandatory legislation; British retailers including Currys and Box have implemented lottery-style systems that randomly assign gaming machines to customers.

It is conceivable that duffers could win these lotteries, but they would not be able to purchase large numbers of gaming consoles, which would solve the crux of the problem. For now, U.S. retailers seem reluctant to solve the problem by implementing similar systems.

It would be a dream come true for U.S. lawmakers to ban scalping bots and ensure that PS5 restocks go to actual gamers rather than malicious resellers, but it is still too early to hope.

The Grinch Bot Prevention Act is not the first time Congress has attempted to introduce legislation to address this issue; similar bills were introduced in 2018 and 2019, but none of them made it into law. However, perhaps this could be the third time around.

The retail landscape has changed dramatically in the last 18 months, and there is a good chance that this third attempt will succeed. With the ongoing global chip crisis causing regular inventory shortages and the Covid-19 pandemic increasing the number of customers shopping online, scalping goods in demand is more prevalent than ever. It is a problem that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Paul Tonko, the bill's lead House sponsor, stated: "Allowing Grinch-bots to manipulate prices and squeeze consumers during the holiday season hurts American families, small business owners, product manufacturers, and entrepreneurs. We cannot allow this kind of market manipulation to go unchecked."

Stay tuned to see if this bill makes unprecedented progress and bookmark the PS5 Restocking Hub. It has all the latest restocking information and updates. I can't promise that this will help you get your console before the holidays, but it will certainly make this task a little easier.