Amazon is now offering priority access to PS5 restocks to members of its Amazon Prime service.

This new Prime membership benefit was first seen earlier this month when the latest restock of the Amazon PS5 included priority access for members of the retailer's premium subscription program. The console eventually sold out during the Prime early access period and was never made available for sale to the general public.

This new Prime membership benefit gives subscribers to the retailer's premium membership program a chance to purchase the PS5 before the general public. This makes it much more worthwhile to sign up for Amazon Prime if you are still looking to stock the PS5. Especially considering that inventory of next-generation game consoles on Amazon typically sells out in just a few minutes.

The latest Amazon PS5 restock was the first to feature priority access to Prime members. While the online retailer did not officially announce its new system for distributing stock of the next-generation console ahead of the drop, the PS5 listing page was updated with a message explaining that Prime members will be the first to purchase the console.

It is currently unclear whether Amazon plans to offer Prime members priority access to the PS5 when it restocks in the future, but prudence dictates that it will. This is because Amazon has been offering Prime members-only PS5 restocking in other regions for several months now. Now that this benefit has been introduced in the U.S., it is likely to become a permanent benefit for Prime members, at least for the rest of the year.

Amazon is not the first retailer to offer early access slots to PS5 restocks for Premium members; GameStop has been offering limited access to restocks to PowerUp Reward Pro members for the past few months. This system seems to be helping to deter duffer behavior.

If you're still desperately looking for a PS5, it's well worth signing up for an Amazon Prime membership. Being able to purchase a console with less competition should increase your chances of getting that coveted order confirmation email.

Signing up for Amazon Prime is a very simple process; a 30-day free trial is also available, giving you one month of free Prime. However, restocking of the Amazon PS5 is not usually announced ahead of time, so it may be difficult to time the free trial to coincide with reduced inventory.

At $12.99/month (or $119/year), Amazon Prime is quite affordable, and includes priority access to PS5 restocking as well as Prime Video and Prime Music streaming services. In addition, shipping is free on any item sold on Amazon, which alone will cover the monthly cost of the service.

Becoming an Amazon Prime member could make the very tricky task of securing a PS5 much easier. While success in purchasing the console is not guaranteed to Prime members, having priority access to lower inventory is a great way to tilt the odds in your favor.

Of course, those looking to purchase a console without the extra expense of a premium membership should check the PS5 Restock Hub for updates from major retailers.