GameStop prices used PS5 Pro above new as GTA 6 nears

A second-hand PlayStation 5 Pro now costs more than a new one at GameStop.

The US retailer lists pre-owned standard PS5 Pro consoles at US$1,399.99, compared with US$899.99 for new units. That is 55% more than new, and US$500 above Sony's suggested retail price, according to Video Games Chronicle.

New stock is hard to find. GameStop's website showed no new PS5 Pro consoles available online, leaving only the dearer used versions on sale.

The pricing is deliberate. A leaked internal email said pre-owned PS5 Pro consoles will carry a higher price than the new console, and that this is intentional.

The same email pointed to a higher tier still to come. GameStop plans to sell special-edition pre-owned PS5 Pro consoles for US$1,499.99.

The Pro is a more powerful version of Sony's PlayStation 5, sold for players who want higher frame rates and sharper image quality. Pre-owned is GameStop's term for second-hand hardware that is checked, cleaned and resold under its Pre-owned Guarantee.

Demand for hardware is building ahead of Grand Theft Auto 6. The game, the next entry in Rockstar Games' open-world crime series, is set for release on 19 November. PlayStation and Rockstar have organised a marketing campaign intended to sell more PS5 consoles around that launch.

GameStop is not alone in lifting second-hand prices. Third-party retailers have also raised used PS5 Pro prices to about US$1,400, according to IGN. The console is reported as sold out at most stores.

The gap between buy and sell prices is wide. GameStop lists a regular trade-in value of up to US$800.00 in store credit for a PS5 Pro, rising to up to US$880.00 for Pro members, or up to US$616.00 in cash via cash, Venmo or prepaid Mastercard.

For shoppers, this means the usual logic is flipped. Waiting for new stock is the cheaper route, if you can find it.