NextGen Console Finder Italia

Details

Between 2020 and 2022, the global semiconductor shortage caused by COVID-19 had a significant impact on several sectors, including the video game industry.
The new-generation consoles from Sony (PlayStation 5) and Microsoft (Xbox Series X|S) were difficult to find, with sporadic availability that sold out quickly.

NextGen Console Finder Italia was born as an independent project to address this concrete need, offering real-time notifications about console availability at major Italian retailers.

The context and the idea

The goal was to provide a reliable, timely tool focused on the Italian market, capable of informing users at the exact moment a product became available again.

The project was developed as an ecosystem of bots and Telegram channels, divided by platform:

• PS5FinderItalia
• XboxFinderItalia

During its peak activity period, the system reached over 16,000 users, becoming a reference point for many enthusiasts.

The design approach

Unlike similar solutions already available, developed in an amateur or semi-professional context, the project was conceived from the outset to:

• Adapt to the specifics of Italian retailers
• Guarantee fast and reliable notifications
• Eliminate false positives

Alongside the notification channels, a dedicated bot, @TechFinderItalia_bot, was developed, allowing users to:

• Manually check console availability
• Independently manage their notification preferences

Advanced features

To increase the effectiveness of the service in a highly competitive context, clearly distinguishing it from any other system, the ability to configure phone notifications was introduced, designed to provide an additional time advantage at the moment of availability.

The entire system was designed to operate continuously, handling traffic peaks and frequent updates.