Scalpers are selling Sony's PS5 Pro special edition for thousands more than they paid for it

By Weston Blasi

Sony's PS5 Pro was already the most expensive major gaming console. Then it got even pricer.

The most expensive gaming console ever just got even pricer.

Sony (SONY) announced its PlayStation 5 Pro console in September at a $700 retail price that made some gamers describe it as "absurd" and "bonkers."

The retail price, which is a record for a major gaming console, was then outdone this week by the special edition 30th PS5 Pro 30th anniversary edition, which sold at retail in limited quantities this week for $999.

Only 12,300 of the commemorative consoles went on sale, and sold out immediately. But if you're a gamer who was not able to get a special console and still want one, you can still get one, but be prepared to pay triple.

Many people who bought the special edition console immediately listed it on resale websites for more than what they paid for it.

There are dozens of verified sold listings on eBay (EBAY) and other resale sites for several thousand more dollars than Sony's original retail price.

Most of the sales prices for the PS5 Pro 30th anniversary consoles on eBay were sold between $3,000 to $4,000.

"I knew it would turn out like this but it's still painful," one Reddit user in the popular "PS5" subreddit said about people reselling the limited edition consoles for profit.

"The amount of sold listings upwards of $3-4k on eBay already just makes me sad," another user posted.

See: Do you make money selling stuff on eBay or PayPal? The IRS is saving you a tax headache - for now

All versions of the PS5 Pro are a newer and faster version of the PS5 console, which was released in November 2020. Some major upgrades include a larger GPU, advanced ray tracing and AI-driven upscaling, which enhance image detail. The standard PS5 Pro model launches on Nov 7.

Despite those improvements on the basic PS5 model ($399 at launch and $499 for disc version), one gaming expert said that the premium PS5 Pro console isn't really a must-have for the typical gamer.

"This is targeted squarely at the priced-insensitive hyper-enthusiasts. It's definitely not a mass-market product," Mat Piscatella, executive director of videogames at consumer insights company Circana, told MarketWatch. "They genuinely enjoy spending money on these things."

"The console buyer over time is becoming for higher income people," Piscatella said.

That's especially true if people want to pony up thousands for the 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro console.

Sony did not respond to request for comment.

-Weston Blasi

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09-28-24 1306ET

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