Used PS5 Pro for $1,400: GameStop Cashes In on GTA 6 Fever

According to Dexerto, GameStop has priced a pre-owned PlayStation 5 Pro at $1,399.99. That figure would be steep on its own, but the really striking part is the comparison: it's $500 more than Sony itself charges for the same console, brand new and factory sealed. The reason, according to the outlet, is the spike in demand driven by Grand Theft Auto VI, the game that has half the world scrambling for hardware.

It might look like a quirky retail story, but it's a symptom. When a retailer that size dares to sell a used product for more than a new one, it's telling you two things: that it believes people are willing to pay, and that the supply of new consoles isn't reaching everyone who wants one. For anyone who plays seriously or makes a living creating content, gear is part of the budget, and moves like this throw everything off.

What you need to know

• GameStop is selling the pre-owned PS5 Pro for $1,399.99, according to Dexerto.
• That price is $500 above Sony's price for the new console.
• The markup coincides with the surge in demand tied to GTA 6.
• Paying more for a used unit also means giving up the advantages of a new one: possible prior wear and, generally, less favorable warranty terms.

What's happening and who it affects

The logic is familiar: a massive release on the horizon, a huge number of people who want to play it at the best possible quality, and a high-end console that becomes the object of everyone's desire. The PS5 Pro is the most powerful version of the PlayStation family, so it's understandable that anyone waiting for GTA 6 has it in their sights. What isn't normal is for the second-hand market to set the price ceiling instead of the floor.

Who does this hit? Mostly the impatient buyer, the one who doesn't want to wait for stores to restock and grabs whatever is available. It also hits people who don't have time to compare prices or don't know how reselling works. And, indirectly, content creators who feel they need the hardware from day one so they don't get left out of the conversation. It's worth pointing out that the report covers GameStop's US dollar prices; the source offers no data on other markets, so in Europe and Latin America you'll need to keep an eye on each local store.

A pattern we've seen before

This isn't the first time hype has turned a console into a speculative asset: the start of this generation already saw rampant scalping. The difference is that here we're not talking about an anonymous scalper online, but a chain with storefronts, which lends an air of normality to a price that is anything but normal.

Our take

At Underworld Lordz, we're clear on this: paying $1,400 for a used PS5 Pro is a bad decision, and the fact that a major retailer is asking for it doesn't make it a good idea. It's exploiting the community's FOMO at the moment of peak anxiety. GameStop has every right to set its prices, but we also have every right to say this smells like scalping with a corporate logo.

For competitive players, the math is simple: that extra money can go toward a good monitor, a decent headset or a quality controller, things that affect your performance far more than getting the console a week earlier. And for content creators, being first matters, but not at any cost. Audiences are built on consistency and personality, not on an unboxing paid for at a markup. GTA 6 will be around for a long time, and so will the content surrounding it.

Our recommendation: be patient, set up restock alerts at official stores and make zero impulse purchases. Every person who pays these prices tells the market it can keep raising them.

What do you think?

Is this a legitimate supply-and-demand play or outright price gouging? Will you wait to find the console at its regular price, or do you think the excitement for GTA 6 justifies anything? Let us know in the team chat or on our Discord: would you pay an extra $500 to play sooner?