GameStop is selling refurbished PS5 Pros for $1,399, as if that were a deal

[DragonSlayer101]

Facepalm: GameStop is hiking the prices of pre-owned and refurbished PlayStation 5 Pro consoles to $1,399.99. The new price tag is around $100 to $150 lower than the list prices of new units, which remain in short supply ahead of next month's GTA 6 launch. The increase is a major setback for gamers, many of whom had been hoping to pick up second-hand units at relatively affordable prices ahead of the holidays.

The new prices are around 55% higher than the official $900 price tag for brand-new PS5 Pros and exactly double the console's $700 launch price. Sony increased prices for both the PS5 and PS5 Pro multiple times over the past year, ostensibly due to the AI-fueled memory crunch that has driven up prices for almost all consumer electronics products since the start of this year.

According to a Redditor who claims to work at GameStop, the retailer recently sent out a memo notifying store employees that the new price would apply to pre-owned and refurbished PS5 Pro units starting October 6. The document says that the price hike is "intentional" and urges employees to make the necessary changes to in-store displays before opening on Thursday.

A moderator for the r/GameStop subreddit has since confirmed that the poster's identity was vetted by the moderation team and that the leaked memo appears to be authentic. The new prices, which are in line with what second-hand units are selling for on sites such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace, are now reflected on the official GameStop website as well.

The PS5 lineup is available from several retailers, including Amazon, Target, and GameStop. Sony also sells the consoles through its official US webstore, but the Pro models are currently out of stock at most online stores. New units are, however, available at Best Buy and Walmart for $1,495 and $1,555, respectively.

The PS5 Pro will also cost you a pretty penny at Newegg, where it has a list price of $1,585. The PS5 Disc and Digital versions, however, are much more affordable, with list prices closer to their official MSRPs. The former is currently listed on the website for $649.99, while the latter is available for $599. Pre-owned PS5 units in "Acceptable" condition start at $499.99.

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GameStop is selling refurbished PS5 Pros for $1,399, as if that were a deal

 

[Honest Abe]

I don't think Game Stop will be around much longer, to be frank.

 

[Kirby1]

Crazy how bad prices have gotten. But at least we're great again.

 

[The Talking Tech]

Everything is inflated and companies are taking advantage of the consumer...

And yet...according to Republicans our economy is "Great Again"

 

[human7]

Sadly this year, Black Friday/Cyber Monday "deals" will be amazing if it's just MSRP.

 

[yRaz]

Everything is inflated and companies are taking advantage of consumer...

And yet...according to Republicans our economy is "Great Again"

The issue is that the economy is great for the donors, it sucks for almost everyone else

 

[LordVile95]

Why are you using an AI photo of something that doesn’t even look like a PS5 Pro?

 

[cldmstrsn]

**** all this ****

 

[m4a4]

Why no mention of the jailbreak that will only work on older consoles?

It's even reported that GTA6 will require a firmware update to work (in attempts to block the exploit).

It seems fairly obvious that the reason why GS wants to sell used consoles at a marked up price is so they get a cut of that pie, instead of letting scalpers take full advantage of it.

 

[Dreadcthulhu]

I don't think Game Stop will be around much longer, to be frank.

As strange as it sounds, GameStop is literally more profitable than they ever have been; their last two quarters are the two most profitable quarters they have had in their entire history. Granted, its not really video games that is bringing them the profit these days, they did a pivot to stuff like collectible card games and related merch, and have been making money hand over fist doing that. Video games are more a side business for them these days.