Verizon sells the PlayStation 5 now: Talking Tech podcast

Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

More: Daily news, true crime, and more USA TODAY podcasts

Hey there, listeners. It's Brett Molina. Welcome back to Talking Tech. Holiday season is maybe not technically upon us. It's getting close, though, especially if you've already started holiday shopping. And one of the items that has been the toughest to find is a video game console, whether it's a PlayStation 5, an Xbox Series X or S, or a Nintendo Switch. Both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series S and X launched last year, as expected, with new consoles. They are tough to find. 2021 is going to feel like déjà vu all over again, as even a year out it is still really difficult to find both these video game consoles.

But we now have a new retailer that is offering them, Verizon. You can read more about this in our story on tech.usatoday.com. Verizon is the latest to offer video game consoles for sale. If you're a subscriber to Verizon, you can purchase a PS5 system with a disk drive that costs 499.99 or the digital edition without the disk drive for 399.99. I checked both listings earlier, before recording. Both sold out. Not surprised. A spokesperson told the tech site CNET that the company plans to sell "a very limited quantity" of PS5 systems on online. They're also going to have a handful of consoles at pilot stores. Verizon hasn't really detailed which stores might have those PS5s, but it is worth checking out if you're near a Verizon Wireless and you really want a PS5. They might have them there.

So this again illustrates what has been a common thing, whether it's Verizon, GameStop, whichever retailer you go to, it is very challenging to find these consoles. I guess one of the biggest tips I would offer for someone that is looking to get one for themselves, or if you have a family member, you're a parent, whomever, and you're looking to buy one for a loved one or for yourself, one of the best outlets I've found is Twitter. There are several accounts that will keep track of all the updates to supply and when a different retailer has a supply of a PS5, or even the new Xbox, that's also been tough to find as well. And it's great because it's immediate. It's a really quick way to get a sense of when they're available, and you can get right to your computer when you need to and try to get one. It doesn't guarantee you'll one, because obviously there are a lot of other people trying to get it too, but at least that gives you your best chance.

You can obviously set up alerts as well with retailers where they can let you know when they're in stock. I haven't found those to be as helpful so much because it's not as immediate. If you want to get this, you've got to jump on it right away. It's one of those things. They sell out just as quick as they end up in stock. And it feels like it's going to be that way for a while now, not just because we're dealing with the demand of new consoles, but we obviously are dealing with the supply chain issues that have been affecting several industries as well as a shortage in semiconductor chips. So between all that, obviously, these consoles have now become really sought after, but they've also been really tough to get.

So we'll see how this unwinds once it gets past the holidays and all these other issues and see, hopefully, if these become more available soon. We'll keep you posted on the latest on this. You can read our coverage on tech.usatoday.com. Listeners, let's hear from you. Do you have any comments, questions, or show ideas? Have you been able to successfully get a PS5 or a new Xbox? What was your experience like? Let us know on Twitter. I'm @brettmolina23. Please don't forget to subscribe and rate us or leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, anywhere you get your podcasts. And don't forget, we have a newsletter too. It drops in your inbox every Thursday. You can go subscribe at newsletters.usatoday.com. You've been listening to Talking Tech. We'll be back tomorrow with another quick hit from the world of tech.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Verizon sells the PlayStation 5 now: Talking Tech podcast