GameStop's $1,400 Used PS5 Pro Is a Brutal Reminder That Console Prices Only Go Up

If you needed proof that the video game console market has fundamentally shifted, GameStop just provided it. The retailer began listing pre-owned PS5 Pro systems for $1,400 this week, or $1,330 for GameStop Pro members, in what amounts to a brazen pricing move that undercuts the appeal of buying a brand-new system at full price.

For context, a fresh PS5 Pro currently sells for $900 at retail. That makes GameStop's used pricing a staggering $500 premium over a new unit. The only real explanation is that supply constraints on the PS5 Pro are severe enough that the company is confident it can move used hardware at inflated prices anyway.

The charitable interpretation is that GameStop is subtly conditioning consumers for what's coming next. PlayStation 6 rumors have consistently pointed toward a $1,000 or higher launch price. If GameStop can normalize the idea that premium PlayStation hardware costs well into four figures, then next-generation pricing might not feel like such a shock when Sony announces it. Microsoft has played a similar game, hitting consumers with another round of price increases in August that put the cheapest Xbox Series S at $500.

There is a more cynical read, too. This looks indistinguishable from console scalping, the practice that plagued PS5 and Xbox Series X launches. Instead of individual resellers taking advantage of supply shortages, now an official major retailer is doing it. Amazon and Best Buy have similar used PS5 Pro listings at comparable prices, though those typically come from third-party marketplace sellers rather than the platforms themselves.

What makes this moment genuinely significant is how rare it is. This is the first console generation in modern memory where prices have risen dramatically over the system's lifespan instead of falling. The PS5 launched at $500 in 2020. The PS5 Pro started at $700 in November 2024, climbed to $750, and now sits at $900.

The real question is whether consumers will tolerate it. Plenty of people browsing GameStop's site might realize that selling their old PS5 Pro directly on Facebook Marketplace or eBay could net them nearly the same amount without a middleman taking a cut. As hardware gets more expensive and supply chains remain stressed, the economics change for both resellers and the players caught in the middle. For casual gamers, it is another reminder that the barrier to entry keeps climbing, and this generation's $1,400 used console may become tomorrow's baseline price anchor.