A used console. Costing more than a new one. On purpose. GameStop’s leaked internal memo says it plainly: “the preowned console will have a higher price than the new console — this is intentional.” Used PS5 Pro: $1,399.99 digital, $1,499.99 with a disc drive. A brand-new Pro is $899.99. Read those numbers again and tell me the retailer isn’t scalping you to your face.
And here’s the math that should make you furious: GameStop will give you $850 trade-in credit for your Pro — then flip it for $1,500. That’s a ~$650 gross margin per console, roughly $930 CAD, pocketed on every single unit. They’re not a retailer anymore. They’re a pawn shop with a loyalty program.
Why now? Three words: Grand Theft Auto VI. Demand is surging ahead of the biggest launch in gaming history, supply is choked by the ongoing memory chip shortage, and GameStop looked at eBay scalpers charging $1,400 and thought “why should they get it all?” In Japan, Sony’s running a lottery — 60 hours of playtime just to enter — for the privilege of buying one at retail.
And you — yes, you, reading this with your jaw clenched — are going to grumble, post an angry comment, and pay it anyway. Because GTA VI is weeks away and the FOMO is stronger than your principles. GameStop knows. That’s why the memo says “intentional.” You’re not a customer to them. You’re a predictable revenue event.
Here’s the part nobody wants to hear: a base PS5 runs GTA VI. The Pro gets you prettier pixels, not a different game. Nobody — nobody — needs a $1,500 used console to play it. But “need” left the building a long time ago. This is about having the best box on the shelf, and GameStop is charging you a $600 vanity tax for the privilege.
So — still buying? Of course you are. See you in line.
Sources: Push Square, WCCFTech, Twisted Voxel, Tech4Gamers. Prices in USD; CAD conversions approximate.