The PlayStation 5 has been incredibly hard to come by since it released last year in November. If you haven’t been able to get your hands on one of the next-gen consoles when they happen to restock online, there’s a good chance that you haven’t been able to acquire one just yet. As such, those who haven’t wanted to wait any longer to get the PS5 for themselves have been turning to the resale market to get the latest piece of tech right away. But just how costly are PS5 consoles when being sold on the resale market? Well, enough for one reseller to have netted themselves thousands of dollars.
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In a new report from BBC, one scalper that went by the name “Jake” to keep his real identity hidden said that he has made well over $10,000 by reselling PS5 consoles. Jake explained that he made the most money from this venture right when the PlayStation 5 came out. “At the start when stock was limited, you could easily sell a PS5 for ยฃ800,” he said.
Jake went on to acknowledge that many look down on the scalpers for reselling items like this for far more than their retail value. However, to Jake, he sees this as nothing more than being a savvy business person. “I don’t sound like a very nice person but it’s business, isn’t it? Why should I be sitting in my bedroom playing video games like every other 18-year-old, not doing anything with their life? It’s easy money, it’s pocket money,” he said simply.
Although Jake just sees this as a means of making money for himself, he has said that the job has also come with some slight danger. According to Jake, he has received threats from “men in their 30s and 40s” for scalping PS5 consoles in this manner. Although his safety has never been compromised, this seems to be why he opts to use a fake name in the report rather than disclosing his actual name and face.
As a whole, it’s hard to know what to think of this practice. While price gouging those that are simply looking to get their hands on a video game console is a bit frustrating to see transpire, it’s hard to blame Jake or any other resellers for doing this practice. At the end of the day, if other people are willing to pay the amount that is being asked for, then that’s their own decision that they’ll have to live with.
[H/T Gaming Bible]
