00:00There was a time when buying a used game console was supposed to save you money.
00:04You'd walk into a store, find a console that somebody else had traded in,
00:08and you'd get the same basic gaming experience for less than buying it brand new.
00:12Well, apparently those days are changing,
00:14because GameStop is now selling a used PlayStation 5 Pro for $1,400.
00:20Yes, a used PS5 Pro for $1,400.
00:25And if that sounds completely insane to you, I don't blame you.
00:28What's even crazier is that the standard retail price of a new PS5 Pro is supposed to be around $900.
00:35So we're talking about a used console being sold for roughly $500 more than the price of a brand new
00:41one.
00:41And honestly, this is starting to make me wonder if it's time for more gamers to look backward instead of
00:47forward.
00:48Maybe retro gaming isn't just nostalgia anymore.
00:51Maybe it's becoming the more sensible option.
00:54According to a report from Kotaku, GameStop recently increased the prices of several pre-owned PS5 Pro models.
01:01An alleged internal GameStop message reportedly told stores that certain used PS5 Pros would be priced between $1,400 and
01:09$1,500.
01:10And on October 6, GameStop website appears to confirm that something was definitely happening.
01:16A standard pre-owned PS5 Pro was listed at $1,400.
01:21Now there is an important distinction here.
01:23That doesn't mean every GameStop is necessarily selling every used PS5 Pro for exactly $1,400.
01:30And the $1,400 system was reportedly out of stock when the article was published.
01:34But the fact that GameStop actually listed a used PS5 Pro at that price is enough to make you stop
01:41and ask,
01:41what is going on with the video game industry?
01:44Because this isn't just a case of somebody on eBay deciding to put a ridiculous price on a console.
01:49This is one of the biggest video game retailers in the United States putting a 4-digit price tag on
01:54a used console.
01:56And apparently, the fact that it's more expensive than buying a new one is intentional.
02:01One of the biggest reasons being suggested for this situation is pretty obvious.
02:05Grand Theft Auto 6.
02:07The closer we get to the game's launch, the more people are looking to upgrade their hardware.
02:11And that's especially true for people who want the best possible experience.
02:14The PS5 Pro is already the premium PlayStation 5.
02:18Now you've got one of the biggest video game releases in history approaching,
02:22and suddenly demand for PlayStation hardware becomes even more intense.
02:26At the same time, PS5 Pros are apparently becoming increasingly difficult to find at their normal retail price.
02:33That's basically the perfect environment for prices to go crazy.
02:36Limited supply, high demand, scalpers, people who don't want to wait,
02:41and a massive game on the horizon that millions of people want to play.
02:45Put all of that together, and suddenly a $900 console can become a $1,400 used console.
02:51And that's where I have a problem, because eventually we have to ask ourselves,
02:55when did playing video games become something that requires this much financial planning?
03:00There's another part of the story that I find almost as ridiculous.
03:04According to one of the comments on the article,
03:06GameStop is reportedly offering around $715 in trade-in value for a PS5 Pro,
03:12which potentially selling that same type of used system for $1,400.
03:17Now obviously, trade-in values and resale prices aren't supposed to be identical.
03:21GameStop has operating costs, employees have to be paid, stores have to be maintained,
03:27there are logistics involved, and the company obviously needs to make a profit.
03:30But when you see a massive difference like that,
03:33it does make you wonder how much value consumers are leaving on the table
03:36when they trade their hardware in.
03:38And that's something gamers should keep in mind.
03:40Because if a console becomes difficult to find and its resale value skyrockets,
03:45the person trading in might not be getting anywhere near what the market considers that console to be worth.
03:51Meanwhile, somebody else could potentially turn around and sell it for considerably more.
03:57That's just the reality of the market.
03:59Now I don't want to completely dump all of the blame on GameStop,
04:02because GameStop didn't create the laws of supply and demand,
04:05and they're not the only company benefiting from the situation.
04:08The article points out that Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers
04:13have listings for PS5 Pros at prices exceeding $900 as well.
04:18The difference is that many of those listings are coming from third-party sellers
04:22rather than the retailers themselves.
04:24And that's an important distinction.
04:26But at the same time, I can understand why people are frustrated with GameStop.
04:32GameStop is supposed to be the place where you can buy games and hardware
04:35without necessarily having to pay collector's market prices.
04:39That's part of what made the used game market appealing.
04:41You could find an older console.
04:43You could find an older game.
04:45You could trade something in.
04:47You could build a collection without spending a fortune.
04:49But when a used console costs $500 more than the brand new retail price,
04:54that entire idea gets flipped upside down.
04:56And here's the funniest part.
04:59Remember when the PS5 Pro was announced and people were shocked
05:03that it was going to cost around $700?
05:05At the time, that seemed absolutely ridiculous.
05:08And honestly, I understood the criticism.
05:11A console costing that much was already pushing the limits
05:14of what many gamers were willing to pay.
05:16But now, looking at a used PS5 Pro selling for $1,400,
05:21that original $700 price almost looks cheap.
05:24And that's a problem, because once consumers become accustomed
05:27to increasingly ridiculous prices,
05:29companies can start testing just how far people are willing to go.
05:33We've already seen this with games.
05:35We've seen it with downloadable content.
05:37We've seen it with special editions, collector's editions,
05:41subscriptions, hardware, and now we're seeing it with used hardware.
05:45And this brings me to something I've been thinking about more and more.
05:48Maybe this is another reason to go back to retro gaming.
05:52I'm not saying everybody should sell their PS5.
05:55I'm not saying modern gaming is bad.
05:57There are plenty of fantastic games released today.
06:00But if this is the direction the industry continues moving in,
06:03there is something really appealing about going back to older generations.
06:07You know what a PlayStation 2 costs?
06:09You can actually find one.
06:11You know what a GameCube costs?
06:12You can find one.
06:13A PlayStation 3, an Xbox 360,
06:17a Nintendo 64,
06:18a Sega Genesis,
06:19a Dreamcast,
06:21and depending on what you're looking for,
06:23you can find plenty of games for these systems
06:25without needing to spend $1,400 on a used console
06:28just because one particular game is coming out.
06:30And that's what I love about retro gaming.
06:33The hardware has already been made.
06:35The games have already been released.
06:36There's no waiting for the next price increase.
06:39There's no wondering whether a retailer
06:41is going to suddenly jack up the price
06:43because a major game is approaching.
06:45There's no need to chase the latest hardware
06:47just because a new console revision comes out.
06:50You can just plug the thing in,
06:52put a game in,
06:53and play.
06:53And sometimes,
06:54that's all I want from gaming.
06:56The funny thing is that modern gaming industry
06:59is almost making retro gaming
07:00look more attractive by comparison.
07:02Think about what you need to worry about with modern gaming.
07:05You have to worry about hardware availability.
07:07You have to worry about hardware prices,
07:10digital storefronts,
07:11games requiring massive downloads,
07:14online services,
07:15subscriptions,
07:16games being delisted,
07:18live service games shutting down,
07:20microtransactions.
07:21And now,
07:22we're apparently supposed to worry about
07:23whether a used console is going to cost $1,400.
07:26Meanwhile,
07:27I can fire up an old game from 20 or 30 years ago
07:30and just play it.
07:31That simplicity has value.
07:33Now,
07:34if you're somebody who absolutely wants a PS5 Pro
07:37because you want the best possible way
07:39to experience Grand Theft Auto 6
07:40or whatever other games you're interested in,
07:42that's your choice.
07:44I'm not going to tell anybody
07:45how they should spend their money.
07:46But personally,
07:47I wouldn't pay $1,400 for a used PS5 Pro.
07:51At that price,
07:52I'd rather spend the money
07:53on an entire collection of older games and hardware.
07:56And that's something I think more gamers should consider.
07:59Instead of asking,
08:00how do I get the newest console,
08:02maybe ask,
08:02what games can I play with the hardware I already have?
08:06Because there are decades' worth of fantastic games
08:09sitting there waiting to be played,
08:10and most of them aren't asking you
08:12to spend four figures on a used console.
08:15Ultimately,
08:16I think the biggest problem with this story
08:17isn't even the $1,400 PS5 Pro itself.
08:21It's what it represents.
08:22Gaming is becoming increasingly expensive.
08:25Hardware is becoming more expensive.
08:27So are games,
08:28and subscriptions,
08:29and major releases can create enormous demand
08:31for hardware almost overnight.
08:34If this is what the future of gaming looks like,
08:36I think there's going to be a growing number of people
08:38who simply decide,
08:39you know what,
08:40I'm going back to the games I already own.
08:42And honestly,
08:43I can't blame them.
08:44There's nothing wrong with playing something
08:45from the PlayStation 2 era.
08:47There's nothing wrong with firing up an Xbox 360.
08:50There's nothing wrong with playing a Nintendo 64.
08:53There's nothing wrong with going back to the Sega Genesis.
08:56Gaming doesn't stop being fun
08:57just because the hardware is old.
08:59And if anything,
09:00situations like this remind us
09:01that sometimes the best value in gaming
09:04isn't what's coming next.
09:06It's what's already here.
09:08So what do you think?
09:09Would you ever pay $1,400 for a used PS5 Pro,
09:13especially with Grand Theft Auto 6 on the horizon?
09:16Or would you rather spend that money
09:17on older consoles and games?
09:19Let me know in the comments.
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09:44Thank you for watching,
09:46and as always,
09:47game on.
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