The PS5 Launch Breaks the Internet

It’s PS5 launch day and dedicated fans have been queuing all morning to get their hands on the limited number of consoles available.

So far, we’ve seen John Lewis, Tesco, Currys PC World, Game and Argos struggle under the enormity of tens of thousands of visitors. John Lewis was offline entirely while those with a queuing system in place found that slowing the flow of traffic alone was not enough to protect retailers from over selling stock.

Hardcore fans were left frustrated and disappointed following this morning’s events, despite announcements from Currys PC World and John Lewis that they would be restocking later today.

Twitter Tweet

Twitter Tweet

Why is the PS5 launch so significant?

The problems facing retailers don’t end at website availability. Last week the Xbox Series X flew off the virtual shelves with gamers scooping up the merchandise in an instant. The challenge was that scalper bots were infiltrating the surges of legitimate gamer traffic, buying the console and driving the prices up, well out of the reach of most customers. The Xbox Series X remains out of stock online across UK retailers, a week after the initial launch, as they wait for new supplies.

We anticipated the PS5 launch to unfold to a similar effect. A week prior to the launch PS5 pre-orders had already been placed on eBay for $900 – double the RRP – leaving gamers with little choice but to jump in one of today’s queues or pay the escalated price.

Why are scalper bots targeting PS5 consoles?

Throwing fuel on the usual console launch fire, is the Covid-19 factor. Covid has had a significant effect on manufacturing and logistics in 2020, which has driven demand for the already limited stock through the roof as dedicated gamers try to secure their PS5 this side of Christmas.

Scalper bots are thriving as the world turns to online retailers and away from brick and mortar stores. Using scalper bots isn’t illegal, despite being used to commit fraudulent activity, it can even be argued that they are facilitated by the functionality of eCommerce sites, which have been built to enable consumers to buy lots of products very quickly.

How Netacea stops scalper bots before they hit your sit

Stopping scalper bots from acquiring your stock requires a solution that continually adapts and evolves to understand and detect the intent of your website visitors.

Netacea delivers technology designed to protect websites from bot attacks. Netacea’s revolutionary approach to bot management empowers businesses with control over automated bot traffic, with the ability to detect bots and block malicious traffic in real-time.

Sign up for a personalised demo and find out how Netacea stops sophisticated scalper bots from depleting your goods or services, while prioritising genuine users.