GameStop has begun selling used PlayStation 5 Pro consoles for as much as $1,400, a significant increase over the system's original retail price. This price hike comes as the consoles become harder to find in anticipation of the Grand Theft Auto 6 release. A leaked internal message to GameStop employees reportedly indicated a price increase for several pre-owned variants of the PS5 Pro, with suggested prices ranging from $1,400 to $1,500. This is considerably higher than the console's suggested retail price of $900.
On October 6, GameStop updated the price of a standard edition pre-owned PS5 Pro on its website to $1,400, a move that appears to corroborate the leaked memo. As of this reporting, the pre-owned PS5 Pro is listed as out of stock on GameStop's website. A new PS5 Pro is also listed at $900 and is out of stock.
Former GameStop employees suggest that the increased pricing for used consoles stems from the difficulty retailers face in acquiring new PS5 Pros. New units are expensive to stock and must reportedly be sold at or near their $900 retail price, often bundled with other items. While Sony has stated it has sufficient RAM for continued PS5 console production, acquiring new stock remains challenging.
Used consoles, however, can be sold at prices determined by the retailer. It is believed that GameStop may be acquiring these used consoles at a lower trade-in value, exploiting customers who may not be aware of the current scarcity. By prioritizing the sale of used PS5 Pros at inflated prices, the company may be seeking to maximize profits as demand rises before the expected November launch of Grand Theft Auto 6. Other retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon also list PS5 Pro consoles at prices of $1,400 or more, though these are typically sold by third-party resellers rather than directly by the retailers themselves.