Despite having been out for a while, the PS5 is still proving incredibly hard to find for most gamers. And, unfortunately, this situation isn't looking like it will improve soon.
However, it's not all bad, especially in other areas of gaming. Whilst you wait for the PS5 to become readily available, here are some activities that might make your time pass that much quicker.
1. Complete the Games in Your PS4 Library...
With Sony admitting the PS5 will have stock issues throughout 2021, you could wait to get a PS5 for a long time.
However, this is the perfect time for you to direct your efforts into finishing any outstanding PS4 games in your library.
You know the ones—there's that game you'll 'get around to some time' or the one you bought in a sale and forgot about. Well, it's time for you to experience all these games have to offer.
This can extend to games you've already played that warrant a second—or third—play through, maybe with increased difficulty, new game plus, or both.
2. Buy PS4 Games on Your PlayStation Store Wishlist...
New games are getting more expensive, so now is an excellent time for you to focus on playing the brilliant games that you might've missed throughout the years.
Now, with the many sales on the PlayStation Store and other retailers, you've got the perfect opportunity to buy the most optimized version of a game you've had your eye on at its all-time lowest price.
What's great is that as Sony has reintroduced the Wishlist feature on the web-browser version of the PS Store, you can regularly check your wishlist to see if your most anticipated games are on sale.
3. Work Through the PlayStation Now Game Collection
As an alternative—or addition—to completing outstanding games in your library or buying games from your wishlist, you can make use of more than 800 games available on PlayStation Now.
For $9.99/month, $24.99/3 months, or $59.99/year, starting with a seven-day free trial, you've got access to a huge variety of games, spanning the PS2, PS3, and PS4 generations, with new games being added every month. As long as you're subscribed, you can download and play any of these games whenever you like.
PS Now is a great way for you to put time into a bunch of games you've always wanted to play over the years, as well as experiment with different types and genres of games, not to mention increase your understanding and appreciation of how games have transformed over the years.
If you want the biggest bang for your buck, then PS Now is the way to go.
4. Buy a Nintendo Switch
While you're waiting to buy one console, why not try out another?
The Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite have been a resounding success for Nintendo, showcasing an extremely versatile console with a fantastic collection of games.
However, if you've missed all the buzz over the past four years regarding Nintendo's handheld device, now could be the perfect time for you to see what all the fuss is about.
We're expecting a new Switch to be released sometime in 2021, so that could drop the price of the current Switch and Switch Lite down, giving you all the more reason to see if you're a Nintendo fan.
5. Explore YouTube Gaming Channels
If you love games, then there's a good chance you'll love hearing about the latest games or exploring your favorite titles, series, and genres.
YouTube is a great place for learning more about your favorite games. With a range of fantastic content creators to discover, it's well worth your time to see what they have to offer.
Want well-written and produced game reviews and gaming updates? Why not check out Skill Up? Looking for fun dives into more indie games? Then MandaloreGaming might be for you. If you're a big Resident Evil fan or love horror games, then Avalanche Reviews and The Sphere Hunter could be right up your alley.
Learning more about what you love is a fun and rewarding process, and YouTube gaming channels are a great way to further explore your love of all things video games.
6. Listen to Gaming Podcasts
Alongside YouTube gaming channels, there are some great gaming podcasts you can listen to, such as Giant Bombcast or Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast.
Discovering a new podcast can keep you occupied for hours as you go about your daily activities, listening to long-form, entertaining conversations or monologues. With video game podcasts, you can gain an insight into people's thoughts, feelings, and reactions to games and gaming news, something you can likely empathize with.
If you're itching for a new podcast recommendation, why not try these ways to discover podcasts worth listening to?
7. Explore Video Game Movies and TV Shows
Video game movies and TV shows have an interesting place in video game media.
Video game movies are... well, they're something. Although recent offerings, like this year's Mortal Kombat, have proven better at adapting video games to the big screen, video game movies have had a hard time creating praised pieces of cinema—just take a look at Rotten Tomatoes' worst-to-best video game movies list.
That being said, video game movies are nothing if not entertaining in their own way, especially when you watch them with friends. You'll have an interesting experience as you explore each attempt to make a video game movie that isn't awful, with lots of laughs (and tears) along the way.
On the other hand, video game TV shows are varied and attract considerably more success, with some great animated offerings, like Netflix's Castlevania. Whilst there aren't many notable live-action TV shows—Netflix's The Witcher stands out—it's exciting to think about what video game TV shows are on the horizon, such as the upcoming TV adaptation of The Last of Us.
8. Read Video Game Books and Comics
Completing the list of complimentary video game media are video game books.
Video game books provide a wonderful art form from which to further expand your love and understanding of video games. And there's a rich world of books for you to read, whether it's a non-fiction piece about the history of video games, an expansion of a game's universe, or a series that influenced a game you love, like Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher books.
There are art books, such as The Art of Assassins's Creed Valhalla, which can provide a lovely accompaniment both as you play a game and also outside of gaming, as well as video game comics and graphic novels, that add a more colorful and moment-to-moment feel as you read.
It's Absolutely Worth Being Patient if You Want to Buy a PS5
You could be looking at a long time before you get your PS5, short of buying from scalpers (which you should never do). That being said, you can keep yourself occupied with a wide range of fun activities that'll make the time fly by.
As with all things electronic, the PS5 is still undergoing massive production delays. Add huge demand and scalpers to the mix, and you're better off spending your time playing the games you've missed, laughing with your friends at poor video game movies, and reading a recently-discovered hidden gem.