All About Interwebz: PlayStation Direct is bringing more PS5s to Europe, but will they be easier to buy?

Sony has just launched the PlayStation Direct online store in Germany, with plans to roll the new website out across Europe in the coming weeks. Launching just ahead of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals period, the PlayStation Direct website could potentially make it easier for consumers to buy a PS5.

As reported by VGC, the official PlayStation Germany Twitter account put out a tweet announcing PlayStation Direct's launch in the country, with the "UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg will follow shortly."

PlayStation Direct's addition to European countries follows a successful launch period for the service in the US, of which Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan said had "achieved significant revenue in the US market within little more than a year of starting operations."

Sony PS5 console standing up — (Image credit: Sony)

The launch of PlayStation Direct in Europe lines up with a recent report that Sony had been airlifting PS5s into the UK to help keep up with holiday demand. While a substantial amount of these consoles will likely be going directly to high street retailers, it's possible many of them will be kept in warehouses strictly for PlayStation Direct purchases.

Of course, it's not just PS5 consoles potentially up for grabs on the PlayStation Direct online store, as listings also exist for DualSense wireless controllers, Pulse 3D wireless headsets and a number of games including Death Stranding: Director's Cut and Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.

Analysis: Will PlayStation Direct really make it easier to buy a PS5?

You'd like to think that more PS5 stock flying into Europe, alongside the launch of an official PlayStation online outlet would make PS5 consoles more readily available, and that's probably true.

However, demand is still astronomically high for the elusive console, which is most definitely going to increase as we get closer to the Black Friday sales period. PlayStation Direct will certainly help more consumers get PS5s into their homes, but the ongoing chip shortage still means that Sony can only produce so much.

PlayStation Direct is far from a guarantee that you'll be able to nab yourself a PS5 and avoid the Black Friday rush, but we're happy that European customers at least have another outlet - an official one, no less - to try their chances.

Unfortunately, we're not expecting any significant Black Friday PS5 deals as a result of the continued scarcity. However, if you're lucky enough to already own the console, it'll be well worth keeping an eye out for accessories that are more likely to be discounted, such as these PS5 SSD Black Friday deals or Black Friday PS Plus deals to add even more storage to your console at a lower price.