GameStop's $1,399.99 refurbished PS5 Pro undercuts every new unit still in stock
GameStop raised refurbished PS5 Pros to $1,399.99, roughly 55% over the $899 list price for a new one. A leaked staff memo calls the markup "intentional," and the console is out of stock at Sony, GameStop and Target.
The Engineer · Build desk
What happened
- The console had been selling refurbished for $800, so the new tag is a jump of about 75% on GameStop's own used price.
- The memo set the new price to take effect October 6 and told staff to update in-store displays before opening on Thursday.
- An r/GameStop moderator said the leaker had been vetted and the memo appears authentic, and the new prices now show on GameStop's website.
- The $1,399.99 price matches what second-hand PS5 Pros already sell for on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
Why it matters
- What it costs cost At double its $700 launch price, GameStop's used Pro leaves a buyer who saved the $899 MSRP about $500 short and still priced out of every new unit in stock.
- What it limits constraint With new Pros out of stock at list and resale setting the price, the official MSRP no longer governs what a working Pro costs, now near $1,400.
- What it sets up precedent The DRAM crunch driving this (RAM up 500% in a year, now reaching smartphones and cars) makes console sticker prices an early indicator for the rest of consumer electronics.
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The new Pros a buyer can actually order cost more than GameStop's refurbished one. Best Buy lists the console at $1,496.01 and Walmart at $1,554.99 [11]; Newegg wants $1,585 [12]. At $1,399.99 the used unit is the cheapest Pro you can buy today.
GameStop can do this on used stock in a way it cannot on new. Retailers generally set their own prices on pre-owned hardware, and it is unclear whether Sony requires them to hold new units at or near MSRP [25]. So the chain priced its refurbished Pros to where they already clear: sealed new units go for about $1,300 or more on eBay and Facebook Marketplace [14], and $1,399.99 lands inside that band.
The shortage underneath is a memory shortage. AI data centers want HBM and will pay for it, so DRAM makers have moved most of their capacity to that market and left consumer-electronics makers to fight over what remains [15]. The Pro's MSRP has itself climbed from $749.99 to $899.00 this year under the same pressure [9]. GTA VI, pre-selling since June 2026 and due in November, is pulling console demand forward [17], though Rockstar is not aiming for 60 FPS at launch [18].
A buyer who just wants a PlayStation has cheaper options. The base PS5 Disc and Digital models sit near list at about $649.99 and $599 [19], and a pre-owned base unit starts at $499.99 [20]. Someone buying only to play GTA VI could take an Xbox Series X, which comes in under the Pro's MSRP and beats the base PS5 on performance [21]. Or they could try AnyPS5, the open-source project that runs PS5 games natively on PC [22].
What to watch
- Whether Sony sets or enforces an MSRP on new PS5 units, which decides if used-above-new pricing can hold.
- GTA VI's November launch and whether it tightens or eases PS5 Pro supply.
- Whether DRAM makers shift capacity back from AI, the upstream cause of the 500% RAM rise.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence68
- Adoption62
- Hype gap+15
- Incentives55
- Confidence65
Perspective Coverage
3 publishers- Builder
- Builder 25%
- Operator
- Operator 33%
- Investor
- Investor 42%
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
GameStop increased the price of refurbished PS5 Pro consoles from $800 to $1,399.99.
- [2]
GameStop's $1,399.99 refurbished price is about 55% higher than the official $900 list price for a brand-new PS5 Pro.
- [3]
The $1,399.99 price is exactly double the PS5 Pro's $700 launch price, according to TechSpot.
- [4]
A GameStop employee leaked an internal memo telling staff that pricing used consoles higher than new ones is intentional, according to a Reddit post.
- [5]
The memo said the new refurbished and pre-owned PS5 Pro price would take effect October 6 and urged employees to update in-store displays before opening on Thursday.
- [6]
The leaked GameStop memo describes the price increase as "intentional," according to TechSpot.
- [7]
A moderator of the r/GameStop subreddit confirmed that the poster's identity had been vetted and that the leaked memo appears authentic.
- [8]
The new prices are now reflected on GameStop's official website.
- [9]
Brand-new PS5 Pro units carry an MSRP of $899.00, up from $749.99 earlier this year, an increase Tom's Hardware attributes to chip shortages.
- [10]
Sony, GameStop and Target list the PS5 Pro at $899.99 but are out of stock.
- [11]
New PS5 Pro units are available at Best Buy for $1,496.01 and Walmart for $1,554.99.
- [12]
Newegg lists the PS5 Pro at $1,585.
- [13]
GameStop's new used price is in line with what second-hand PS5 Pro units sell for on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
- [14]
New sealed PS5 Pros sell for around $1,300 or more on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
- [15]
AI data centers' demand for HBM memory led DRAM manufacturers to shift most capacity to that market, leaving consumer-goods makers competing for a smaller share of DRAM production, according to Tom's Hardware.
- [16]
RAM prices have risen 500% over the past 12 months, with the shortage spreading into smartphones and automotive manufacturing, according to Tom's Hardware.
- [17]
GTA VI, which began pre-selling in June 2026, is expected to launch in November.
- [18]
Rockstar is not targeting 60 FPS for GTA VI at launch.
- [19]
The PS5 Disc version is listed at $649.99 and the Digital version at $599.
- [20]
Pre-owned PS5 units in "Acceptable" condition start at $499.99.
- [21]
The Xbox Series X costs less than the PS5 Pro at MSRP while offering more performance than the base PS5, according to Tom's Hardware.
- [22]
AnyPS5 is an open-source project that runs PS5 console games natively on PC.
- [23]
The increase from $800 to $1,399.99 is about a 75% rise on GameStop's previous used price.
- [24]
A buyer with the $899 MSRP budget is about $500 short of the $1,399.99 used price.
- [25]
Retailers generally have more freedom to set prices on pre-owned devices, and it is unclear whether Sony requires them to sell new PS5 units at or near MSRP, according to Tom's Hardware.
Sources
3 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.
- dexerto.comUsed PS5 Pros now cost $1,400 at GameStop as GTA 6 demand spikes
1 article · October 6, 2026
- techspot.comGameStop is selling refurbished PS5 Pros for $1,399.99, as if that were a deal
1 article · October 6, 2026
- tomshardware.comUsed PS5 Pros now cost $1,399 at GameStop, 50% more than new ones
1 article · October 6, 2026
Topics and entities
Topics
- Memory Chip Shortage
- Game console pricing