In recent years, there has been little hardware, with the few graphics cards and consoles being sold at high prices. Now, there is enough hardware available, which puts scalpers in trouble.
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What was it like a few months ago? Scalpers buy in-demand items when they are only available in limited quantities to later resell them at a high price. During the Corona pandemic, they increasingly bought the highly sought-after PS5 console as well as graphics cards and resold them at much higher prices. Instead of the MSRP, one paid an additional 250 euros. And it went so well, that some scalpers were able to afford a good life from PS5 sales.
What does the current situation look like? Since the end of 2022, the world looks different. Sony launched a major sales campaign, and since early January, you can buy the PS5 in almost all common stores. And that is a problem for scalpers who still have garages full of PS5 consoles. Because now, no one wants them anymore.
“Don’t even feel a little bit bad for them.”
On reddit, numerous players report that resale prices at scalpers have dropped significantly. Instead of the previous 750 – 800 euros, in many cases only the MSRP is being asked: On Facebook Marketplace and other platforms, sellers are now offering the consoles at significantly lower prices.
Prices are also falling in Germany. For example, those looking on eBay can find PS5 consoles that are “new and sealed with a receipt” for under 450 euros. The days when one paid 800 euros for a PS5 are now definitely over.
Especially for opportunists who wanted to try scalping, this action is likely to become expensive now.
Why is no one buying them? By now, you can buy the PS5 from any retailer at the suggested retail price with a receipt. This means you also get the warranty and guarantee from the retailer. If you buy a console that has been sitting in some garage for years, you are very likely to no longer have a warranty. Most users therefore opt for official offers.
What are the reactions like? Smug and biting. Most are happy about the development of the situation and hope that the unpopular scalpers will end up stuck with their expensive goods. Because who would buy an old PS5 model from a scalper, where the warranty has long expired, when one could buy a brand new console in the shop?
Others are more thoughtful and explain that scalpers must have made enough profit in recent months. Thus, the current losses might balance out (via reddit.com):
For those who think that this person has lost money, I would like to remind you that the PS5 was sold in the USA for over 1,000 dollars. That means, if they sold enough of their inventory earlier, they could have covered more than the losses that might arise with these last units. So it’s not a good idea to buy these devices, even if the prices continue to drop or you think you need a backup device. Just give them no reason to scalp.
Most agree that one should not buy a console from such people to give them no reason to scalp at all. Even if the prices might sound tempting when official dealers would ask even more.
If you want to buy a PS5 console, you now have very good chances of getting a console at the suggested retail price. A PS5 Pro or PS6 have not yet been announced, and some speculate that a possible release might still take 4-5 years.
Instead, Sony might introduce a handheld for the PS5 in the future, but that might not appeal to many:
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