Update: Sony's invite-only restocking event is sold out. Unfortunately, it looks like there will be no restocking for the general public today; see here for updates on the PS5 restocking.

Sony is currently holding an invite-only PS5 restocking event. But don't despair if you don't receive an email from Sony. Sony has been holding restocking events for the general public for every invite-only event it has held in the past. The latter restock is expected to begin around 5 p.m. EST.

This means that in a few hours, you will be able to get the PS5 for $499 from this link or the PS5 Digital for $399 from this link. This latest restocking news was reported by TechRadar's PS5 tracker Matt Swider.

To receive an exclusive invite from Sony Direct, you must have an active Sony Direct account and set your notifications to "Yes". This does not guarantee an invite. (I did this myself several months ago and have yet to receive a single invite from Sony.)

That said, creating a Sony Direct account is easy. You can sign up at this link. Once you set up your account, add your address and billing information. Registering this information will make it easier for you to add the PS5 unit to your cart.

To turn on notifications from Sony Direct, sign in to your account, click on "My Profile," and from your profile page, click the "Edit" button. You will be redirected to a new account settings page. From that page, select "notifications" from the left column to opt-in to receive news and special offers from Sony.

The last time Sony held an invite-only PS5 restocking event was June 17. Minutes after the invite-only event ended, Sony Direct opened a PS5 queue for the public. We can't guarantee that this will happen again today, but times are rough and if you want a PS5, it wouldn't hurt to be online after the event. Of course, you can bookmark this page to keep up with the latest PS5 restocking news from Sony Direct and major US retailers.

Once in the virtual queue, an estimated wait time will be displayed. All wait times vary, and there is a good chance that you may have to wait "over an hour". Even in that case, do not despair. Your status may change rapidly and your wait time may be shorter than estimated. (For example, after waiting 20 minutes for a previous PS5 restocking event, the wait was reduced from "over an hour" to just 15 minutes.)

Additionally, you may have to solve a captcha. (A simple challenge/question to verify that you are not a bot). Usually a radio box must be selected. As a result, the browser tab should be prominent, otherwise you may miss the captcha challenge and lose your place in the queue.