Sticker shock might be underselling it with GameStop’s new used pricing for Sony’s most powerful system. Starting today, the video game store is listing pre-owned PS5 Pros for $1,400, though GameStop Pro members only need to dish out $1,330. Basically, it’s a $500 surcharge over a brand-new PS5 Pro and capitalizing on the fact that those are stock-constrained currently.
A generous take on GameStop’s new strategy for used PS5 Pros is that the company’s conditioning us ahead of the possibility that the PS6 could cost $1,000 or more. Obviously, Sony isn’t the only one increasing hardware pricing and consoles probably aren’t getting cheaper anytime soon–mainly because of the ongoing chip shortage from AI development.
A more cynical take is that GameStop is taking advantage of the situation similar to what scalpers do with the launch of new video game consoles. I’m also curious how many people now trade in a PS5 Pro at GameStop when they see how much the company is then reselling it for. Wouldn’t an easier option just be to undercut them on Facebook Marketplace or eBay by $100?
Similar pricing for used PS5 Pro systems can be seen on Amazon and Best Buy’s storefronts. One key difference here is that those are third-party sellers, such as this RYTEK example at Best Buy. GameStop is officially behind the pre-owned pricing on its own website.
Sony raised pricing for PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal in April. The PS5 Pro was $750 previously and now retails for $900, if you can find one. When PS5 Pro originally launched in November 2024, the system cost $700. Meanwhile, the Xbox lineup also saw another round of price hikes in August, with the cheapest option being an Xbox Series S for $500. This is the first generation of video game systems to increase in price dramatically over the years, instead of getting much cheaper.
