It's taken a week for the PS5 disc drive to sell out for real, but with PS5 Pro on the horizon I fear scalper mania is only beginning
Sep. 19, 2024Don’t let the scalpers win, folks
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With the news that thePS5 Prowould be launching without a disc drive, the disc reader upgrade that originally launched as a PS5 Slim accessory suddenly started looking mighty valuable to a lot of people. A week later, the PS5 disc drive appears to be properly selling out across all major retailers, and for scalpers who’ve spent all this time profiting off the mere fear of scarcity, it seems like feeding time is about to kick off in earnest.
Early after the PS5 Pro announcement last week, thedisc drive accessory began to sell out from retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. But it didn’t actually sell outcompletely. It wasavailable at the official PlayStation Direct store for most of the past week, and new units would sporadically appear at other major retailers in the US.
As I write this,Best Buyjust listed the drive as being in-stock once again, but as of a few hours ago no major retailer was carrying it, and it seems likely those units will disappear pretty quickly too. Listings for the disc drive areall over eBayright now, tending to sell for around $120. Given thatSony’s managed to keepsomeunits pouring into various retail warehouses it’s probably worth keeping an eye on proper retail listings if you still need a disc drive, but it’s starting to look like the scalpers are winning.
That’s going to be especially concerning for all the prospective PS5 Pro buyers who are now - like me - lusting after the30th anniversary edition coming in a “highly limited supply"alongside the console itself. Here’s hoping whatever protections Sony has against scalpers work out, because I’m afraidPS5 Pro pre-ordersare going to be a bloodbath.
Here’swhere to pre-order the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection.
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