Normally I would have set my sights on them, but their behavior is somewhat encouraged by the shady practices of retailers of only offering console bundles and hiding their replenishments behind subscription payment walls like Walmart +.

Flight in the light of day

The most recent replenishment was here in the UK at GAME, and as you can see from the package options available, they are very expensive at a time when energy bills are skyrocketing. At the same time, these bundles artificially inflate the price of the accessories and additional games they contain, which just seems problematic to me.

Let’s do the math on a few of them. The PS5 disc edition that comes with a red DualSense controller and 3D Pulse headphones costs £ 604.97. If you buy these items separately, the cost would be £ 591. That’s a £ 14 premium added by GAME hiding behind Recommended Retail Prices (RRP).

It gets worse when you include games. Spider-Man: Miles Morales is currently on sale for £ 34, but when you break down the cost of the PS5 bundle to £ 621.98 which includes a 3D Pulse headset, the game, and a terrible t-shirt and cap, GAME charges easily. £ 50-60 for Miles’ Adventure.

Maybe I’m just cranky after covering Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday relentlessly over the past few days, but it’s demand mining – outright. While it’s not illegal, it is definitely a stroke of the dick.

Stop making me subscribe to stuff

Like I said, scalpers are the worst, but at least they’re simple – they have something you want and will charge you more than the list price to give it to you. It’s a glorified ransom note, but at least they’re not trying to get you to sign up for a subscription service like many retailers have started doing this year.

Walmart + and Amazon Prime cost $ 12.99 per month, and the former does not qualify for the trial period. They offer several so-called perks you might never use, including Prime Video and free shipping for Amazon customers, as well as discounted gasoline and access to deals four hours before sales. regular Walmart shoppers.

It’s bad enough that you’re trying to get some metaphorical Brussels sprouts to eat alongside the console-shaped Christmas roast, but at least you’re only paying for a month.

Best Buy, on the other hand, has gone above and beyond and is trying to squeeze $ 200 from you to access console ordering, which also includes Geek Squad support and exclusive discounts.

And the kicker? This does not guarantee you a console. In fact, none of these do. You hope that by paying for these services, you’ll get a perk like a single link to purchase your console, or an exclusive online queue with a limited backorder system if you miss the replenishment – but no. You simply pay to activate the “Add to Cart” button (if you are lucky enough to get to the page in time).

It’s like paying to skip the line at Splash Mountain, only to join another line. You may have a reduced wait time to get to the front, but you’ll get a bad taste in your mouth after realizing you’ve paid for a blanket that includes something you might never use.

What is the solution ?

If there is an opportunity to pick up only the console from these retailers without paying a subscription fee, grab it! You’ll see several small retailers continuing to do things honorably, so be sure to do your homework and find retailers like Smyths Toys in the UK or Target in the US.

But of course these options are limited and indicate that you only have packages available. Do some math before you buy, and make sure the retailer isn’t trying to scam you.

Yes there are other retailers that are restocking through Amazon but any payment always siphons Jeff Bezos a bit and do you really want to pay for his penis rocket? This, and the shady business practice of holding onto your console’s stock and charging more for a bundle with a cheesy t-shirt or subscription service, is not the right kind of so-called ‘big energy’. dick ”which I don’t want any part of – and neither should you.

My final tip: The stock is expected to normalize in Spring / Summer 2022 and the available sets will be significantly expanded. Once that happens, the consumer will have a lot more power in the relationship with retailers. Wait until then to buy and if you’re desperate to play, grab a Backbone One and enjoy Xbox Cloud Gaming.