Over the past year, finding restocks of PS5s has been made much more difficult by the legions of duffers who demand and sell the consoles in large quantities for a large profit. However, this problem may be alleviated in the coming months.

According to resale site StockX (as reported by Forbes), profit margins on PS5s are currently on the decline. On average, resellers are getting about 30% less for their PS5 sales than the price at launch. This decline continues despite the fact that it is very difficult to find PS5 inventory at major retailers.

According to StockX, at its peak, the PS5 resold for about $1,000 on Black Friday weekend last year. By September 2021, however, it was selling for an average of about $715. Of course, that is still a significant increase from the console's standard retail price of $499 for the disc model and $399 for the digital version.

Scalping imposes some additional costs on sellers, and if the profitability of the console continues to decline, resellers may decide that the PS5 is no longer worth purchasing. This would also affect the ability of the average consumer to purchase the console when the PS5 is restocked.

Resellers have been using devious tactics in recent weeks to increase the likelihood of reselling the PS5, with the StockX site showing the "new" console as such, with a slightly lower operating temperature than the launch model, in an attempt to drive up the price. However, this tactic does not seem to have had much effect on the selling price.

Since the PS5 is expected to remain a popular holiday gift item this winter, the battle for inventory is expected to be fierce. As a result, resale prices may unfortunately rise again. In any case, buying a PS5 in the coming months will require serious commitment, but thankfully, there are helpful tips and retailer-specific buying advice.

Interestingly, the Xbox Series X is reselling for an average price of $725, only $25-$75 less than its Black Friday 2020 peak. Xbox Series X restocks have been very low in recent months, with more stable resale prices compared to PS5

The Xbox Series X has been in stock for several months.

If you want to secure a PS5 before the holiday season, you need to be prepared to play the PS5 re-release games. It will be a while before you can purchase a PS5 without hassle. For now, I highly recommend bookmarking the PS5 re-release hub.