Look, the PS5 Pro is out and it's expensive. Really expensive. When Sony dropped that price tag, a lot of us immediately started looking at our "old" base consoles and wondering how much we could get for them to soften the blow. It’s the natural cycle of things. You want the PSSR upscaling and the beefier GPU, but you don’t necessarily want to set nearly $700 plus tax on fire while your current machine gathers dust.
A PS5 trade in for PS5 Pro sounds like a no-brainer on paper. But the reality is a bit messy.
Values are swinging wildly between retailers like GameStop, Best Buy, and those weirdly convenient kiosks in the mall. If you walk in blind, you’re going to get lowballed. I've seen people hand over a pristine disc edition console for $200 because they just wanted the transaction over with. Don't be that person. You have to play the market a little bit if you want to make this upgrade financially justifiable.
The Brutal Reality of Trade-In Values Right Now
Let's talk numbers because that's why you're here. If you're looking at a PS5 trade in for PS5 Pro, your return depends heavily on whether you have the OG "Fat" model or the newer Slim. Generally, retailers aren't discriminating too much on the age of the internal tech, but they care deeply about the disc drive.
GameStop is usually the first place people look. In the current market, you might see "Pro" member trade-in values hover around $350 to $385 during promotional windows. If you aren't a member? Expect that to drop significantly, often down to $300 or less. It’s a bit of a gatekept ecosystem. Then you have Best Buy. Their trade-in program is arguably more straightforward, but they pay out in store credit. If you’re planning on buying the Pro from them anyway, that’s fine. If not, you’re stuck.
The "trade-in" isn't just about the console. You’re trading time for money. Selling on eBay or Facebook Marketplace will almost always net you $50 to $100 more than a retail trade-in. But then you have to deal with "Is this still available?" messages at 3:00 AM and the very real risk of getting scammed or met with a lowball offer in a parking lot. Retail trade-ins are for people who value their sanity over a few extra twenty-dollar bills.
Why the Disc Drive is Your Secret Weapon
Sony made a very specific (and controversial) choice with the PS5 Pro: it doesn't come with a disc drive.
This creates a weird ripple effect for your trade-in strategy. If you have a base PS5 with a disc drive, you are sitting on a piece of hardware that many people actually prefer over the new, digital-only Pro. Retailers know this. They can flip a used Disc Edition faster than a Digital Edition.
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However, if you're upgrading to the Pro and you have a physical library, you need to buy that $80 external disc drive. Suddenly, that $350 you got for your trade-in feels a lot smaller. You’ve basically traded your entire console just to cover the cost of the Pro's price gap and a peripheral you used to own for free. It’s a bitter pill.
Where to Get the Best Value Without Getting Scammed
If you’re dead set on the PS5 trade in for PS5 Pro route, you have to be tactical about when you do it.
- Wait for the "Bonus" Events: GameStop regularly runs "20% extra trade-in credit toward a new console" deals. These are the only times the math actually makes sense.
- The "Back Market" and Gazelle Option: Everyone forgets about online buy-back sites. They often offer flat cash rates. You ship it in a box, they inspect it, they send you a check. It’s slower, but the prices are often more stable than GameStop's daily fluctuations.
- Local Retro Stores: Don't sleep on the mom-and-pop gaming shops. While they can't always match the massive credit of a corporate giant, they sometimes offer better cash-in-hand deals because they need the inventory to compete.
I've talked to several store managers over the last few months. The consensus? The market is flooded. When the Pro launched, everyone had the same idea at the same time. This crashed the trade-in value momentarily. If you can wait a few weeks after a major hardware launch, sometimes the values stabilize as inventory clears out.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
Your cables. Your controller. Your stand.
If you walk into a store to do a PS5 trade in for PS5 Pro, and you forgot the HDMI 2.1 cable or the USB-C charging cord, they will deduct the retail price of those items from your trade-in value. They won't charge you the $5 it costs them to buy it; they'll charge you the $20-30 it costs to buy a new one off the shelf.
Always, always bring:
- The original DualSense controller (no stick drift, or they will reject it).
- A power cable.
- A high-speed HDMI cable.
- The base stand and the tiny screw that holds it on.
If your controller has even a hint of drift, most retailers will "refurb" the trade-in, which slashes about $40 to $60 off your quote. It might be worth buying a cheap, used controller that works perfectly to trade in with the console, keeping your "good" one as a secondary for the Pro.
Is the Pro Actually Worth the Trade-In Hassle?
We have to talk about the "Why."
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Digital Foundry and other tech analysts have spent hundreds of hours pixel-peeping the Pro. The verdict is usually "it's better, but you have to look for it." If you’re playing on a 42-inch 1080p TV from 2015, stop. Do not do a PS5 trade in for PS5 Pro. You won't see the difference. You would be better off trading your PS5 for a better TV.
The Pro is for the person who wants 60 frames per second without the "blurry" look of Performance Mode on the base console. It's for the person who wants to play Alan Wake 2 or Final Fantasy VII Rebirth without feeling like they're sacrificing visual clarity. If you’re that person, the $300-400 gap after trade-in is the "enthusiast tax."
The "Wait and See" Strategy
There is a very valid argument for not trading in at all right now.
History shows us that hardware prices fluctuate. As we get closer to the inevitable announcements of "next-gen" (the PS6 is still years away, but the conversation is starting), the Pro might see its first minor discount. Conversely, if the Pro sells poorly, Sony might bundle it or retailers might offer even more aggressive trade-in incentives to move units.
Honestly, the base PS5 is still an incredible machine. There isn't a single game that requires the Pro to run. You're trading for luxury, not necessity.
Step-by-Step: Preparing Your Console for Trade-In
If you've weighed the pros and cons and decided to pull the trigger, you need to prep your machine correctly. This isn't just about cleaning the dust out of the fans—though you should definitely do that with some compressed air.
First, Back Up Your Data. If you have PS Plus, ensure your cloud saves are synced. If you don't, use a USB drive to move your save files. The Pro will let you transfer data over your home network, but that requires having both consoles sitting in your living room at the same time. If you’re doing a trade-in at a store, you won't have that luxury.
Second, Factory Reset. Go into Settings > System > System Software > Reset Options. This wipes your account info. Do not forget to de-register the console as your "Primary PS5" before you wipe it. It saves a headache later when you're trying to set up the Pro.
Third, The Physical Clean. Use a microfiber cloth. If the white plates are scuffed, a Magic Eraser (used very lightly!) can take off those black marks from cables rubbing against the plastic. A clean console literally gets a higher appraisal in the "Condition" category at places like GameStop.
What about the "Trade-In Toward PS6" Argument?
Some people are saying you should skip the Pro and save the trade-in value for the PlayStation 6.
That’s a long game. We are likely looking at 2027 or 2028 for that. If you trade in now for a Pro, you get 2-3 years of the best possible console experience. Will your Pro be worth more than a base PS5 when the PS6 comes out? Historically, yes. The PS4 Pro held its value significantly better than the base PS4 when the PS5 launched. By upgrading now, you're essentially "locking in" a higher future trade-in value for the next generation.
Actionable Strategy for the Best Return
Stop thinking about this as a simple swap and start thinking about it as a multi-step transaction. To get the most out of your PS5 trade in for PS5 Pro, follow this specific sequence:
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- Check the daily "Value Tracker" on the GameStop website. They update prices frequently. If you see a spike, go that day.
- Remove any custom plates or SSD expansions. If you added a 2TB M.2 drive, take it out! The retailer will not pay you extra for it. You can put that drive straight into your new PS5 Pro.
- Negotiate if you're at a local shop. If they offer $250, and you know the market is $300, ask them if they can meet you in the middle if you buy a game or a subscription while you're there.
- Consider the "Credit vs. Cash" split. Sometimes taking the store credit is worth it if you can use it to buy PSN cards, which effectively turns it into "cash" for digital games.
Ultimately, the move to a PS5 Pro is a luxury play. It’s about getting that extra 20% of visual fidelity and stability. If you can get $350 for your old unit, you're paying roughly $350 for that upgrade. For many, that's the price of a hobby. For others, it's a steep ask for a machine that plays the same games as the one you already have. Make sure you know which camp you fall into before you hand over your console.
Check your local listings one last time today. Compare the "Sold" prices on eBay with the "Trade-In" quote from Best Buy. If the difference is less than $50, just take the trade-in and save yourself the stress of shipping a heavy box. Move your saves to the cloud tonight, clean your plates, and make sure that HDMI cable is in the bag. You're ready.