(Crankers) If you’ve been trying to get your hands on the PS5 console, let’s take a look at how BOTS can derail your plans. People have been raving about the console since it was announced in November 2020, but obtaining it appears to be a near-impossible task. Yes, the global pandemic has made matters even worse, thanks to chip shortages and organized efforts to obtain consoles in large quantities, but the aggravating situation continues to this day.
The bots are programmed in Python and simulate how a human would buy a console on the internet.
Programmers use their code to instruct the bot to open a variety of retail and analyze the website for terms like add to cart once it’s open. That button doesn’t appear if the product is unavailable. The page refreshes, and “Add to cart” appears as soon as the shop signals new stock has arrived.
The bot’s most recent iterations don’t look for keywords but listen for changes behind the scenes – the coding on the webpage changes when a merchant has stock. The bot now listens for these changes and promptly sends out alerts to platforms like Twitter and Discord.
People that utilize bots keep a vigilant eye on the bot’s health at all times. They’re active on social media, alerting hundreds of thousands of followers to any bot malfunctions.
It becomes much easier to rig the system when someone can create bots in a matter of hours. Scalpers use a variety of techniques to modify bot code to automatically check out, allowing them to purchase consoles in large quantities at unbeatable speeds.
Some scalping groups boast about obtaining highly sought-after consoles before they are even listed on the company’s website.
Next time when you get frustrated with your purchase, remember that these bots are always one step ahead of you.
At least one person has a strategy to beat the bots: