PS5 overtakes toilet paper for top 'Where to buy' Google search of 2020

According to Google, more people asked "where to buy PS5" than "where to buy toilet paper" this year, which is somewhat surprising if you recall the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020.

For my readers under six months old, there was a time when entire grocery store aisles were eerily empty, panicked shoppers crammed massive bundles of toilet paper into their carts while forgetting to grab food and water, and people everywhere started eyeing paper towels and shop rags with a wince. There was no toilet paper, except in the basements of suburban households, stacked to the ceiling.  

Still, Google's top search queries for 2020 reveal that the PS5 was in more demand on average, even though it's been out for less than a month. Fewer people looked for Xbox Series X stock, but Microsoft's next-gen console is still the fourth most searched "Where to buy" term, sandwiched in-between face masks and hand sanitizer.

Among Us, Fall Guys, Valorant, Genshin Impact, and Ghost of Tsushima were the most searched video games, while Tiger King took the crown for most-searched TV show. Curiously, people asked "Why chainsaws were invented" more than they asked why anything else.

It's no surprise the PS5 is in hot demand - it's the best way to play PlayStation exclusives like Demon's Souls, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Astro's Playroom, and Sackboy. Our PS5 review argues that, "While the improved graphics and framerates are clearly a boon – and something we'll no doubt see evolve over the coming years – it's the improvements to gaming immersion that really define the generational leap."

Cheers, Polygon.

These are the upcoming PS5 games that people want to play more than they want toilet paper.