PlayStation 5 Pro 30th Anniversary Pre-Orders See Massive Markups From Scalpers
It's crazy what people will do for extra cash.
By Syazwan Bahri — 30 Sep 2024, 04:17 PM
The PlayStation 5 Pro has yet to be launched but scalpers are already swooping up pre-order slots and re-selling the device for a premium
Priced at RM3,849, pre-orders for are the PS5 Pro currently open on the Sony website and are set to ship on 7 November.
Meanwhile, the Anniversary Edition will be available starting 21 November, but only 12,300 units will be produced worldwide.. Interestingly, despite the official release dates being over a month away, numerous listings labelled 'Pre-sale' or 'Confirmed Pre-Order' for these consoles have already appeared on eBay.Prices on eBay can be found at nearly three times the original price
Currently, the PS5 Pro is listed for around USD1,000 (RM4,114), representing a nearly 43% markup over Sony's retail price in certain markets.
However, the pricing for the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary edition is even more staggering. Most listings for this limited-edition console start at over USD3,000 (RM12,343), reflecting a 200% increase from the original price. Some listings have even reached as high as USD12,300 (RM50,604).
The screenshot we took below depicts an extraordinary price of RM21,656 for the limited edition PS5 Pro.
These prices harken back to the launch of the PlayStation 5 and other high-demand electronics, like the RTX 3000 series GPUs, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020
Despite Sony's efforts to limit pre-orders to one per user, scalpers have managed to circumvent these restrictions and profit from the high demand among consumers.
One would hope that Sony has learned from the scalping issues that plagued the launch of the PS5 and has ensured sufficient production to meet demand. With the easing of pandemic-related restrictions, there should be no significant obstacles to ramping up production.
However, the limited-edition nature of the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition makes it a prime target for scalpers. The low production numbers and collector's item status of this console are likely to drive up prices on secondary markets like Facebook Marketplace or Carousell.
