😬 Sony is sending notifications to US PS5 owners encouraging them to trade in consoles they’re no longer using
💰 The offer is up to $400 for a base PS5 with two DualSense controllers, depending on condition
🤷♂️ Trade-in schemes aren’t uncommon, but it’s rare to see them directly from the manufacturer
📉 Sony is perhaps anticipating a console shortage or is looking for ways to offer consoles at more affordable prices than the current rates
If you’re not using that PS5 that’s sitting in your living room, then Sony is offering upwards of $400 for a trade-in.
🚨 Want PS5 Pro immediately? Follow Matt Swider on X with notifications on. You’ll get store alerts on your lock screen. 400,000 got a PS5 this way.
As reported by IGN, Sony has started sending out notifications to PlayStation mobile app users in the US, offering up to $400 if they trade in their PS5. The offer covers a base PS5 console plus two DualSense controllers, with the final payout depending on condition.
Trade-in programs like this aren’t too uncommon around the holiday season, although we usually see them from retailers rather than system manufacturers directly. Sony isn’t using any third-party retailers for this, and is offering users the opportunity to send their console directly to them.
It follows Microsoft doing much the same thing. As mentioned last month, Microsoft asked lapsed Xbox players to trade in their consoles through Best Buy, with up to $375 on offer for a Series X and up to $200 for a Series S.
The logic with both is the same: a console that’s not being used is earning the manufacturer nothing, while the same box in the hands of a more active player is worth more, both with the initial sale of the hardware and the following game sales and subscriptions.
This may suggest that Sony is preparing for a shortage of hardware or is interested in pre-owned stock that it can potentially sell at more affordable rates than a new unit.
After all, a PS5 is going to run you $600-$650, depending on whether you want a disc drive or not, while the PS5 Pro is $900 retail. So, if Sony is offering $400 for a normal PS5 with a pair of controllers, there is some margin for them in buying up old consoles, potentially refurbishing them, and then selling them on.
Resellers have been charging $1,400 and upwards, given the demand for the console, caused in part by the impending release of GTA 6, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a PS5 Pro at retail at the moment.
We’ve been tracking PS5 Pro restocks for some time, and we haven’t seen it at the new $900 retail price. You can pay between $1,400 and $1,650 for a console from various resellers on platforms such as Amazon and Best Buy, but our advice is to wait.
To keep informed, you’ll want to follow Matt Swider on X, turn on post notifications, and become a free or even paid subscriber – you’ll be alerted when the products you want become available, and helps us out in the process.
It looks like Walmart could be the next store to get an MSRP restock of the PS5 Pro ahead of GTA 6’s November 19 release date. It hasn’t had stock since early September, and considering the big retailer gets new waves every month to a month and a half, it’s virtually overdue by this point.
Up next: Zelda Switch 2 restock update: Nintendo admits it ‘underestimated’ demand
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.