PS5 Scalpers Are Starting to Lose Money

Hard as it might be to believe, the PlayStation 5 has been available for nearly a year now. Unfortunately, in that timeframe, a lot of fans that want the system have been unable to get it, thanks to resellers. However, things could be shifting, as new reporting from Forbes suggests that the secondary market value for the console has dropped significantly, of late. Representatives from the website StockX told Forbes that the average price for the disc version of the system dropped from $1000 on Cyber Weekend 2020, to $715 this month. That's still more than $200 over its MSRP, but it does indicate that prices are dropping off.

Apparently, this decreased interest extends to the all-digital version of the console, which can now be obtained for less than $700. Forbes also spoke to resellers on eBay, where this drop-off in secondary market demand has also been noticed. It's worth noting that, while the prices have dropped, the volume of systems sold has not shifted. 

It's unclear exactly why resellers are making less money on the consoles. The PS5 remains very difficult to come by, but it's possible that an increasing number of PlayStation fans are willing to wait for official restocks if they can't find a reasonable price. The majority of the system's games continue to release on PlayStation 4, including upcoming games like Horizon Forbidden West. It's unclear how long PlayStation will continue to support the older console, but with the global chip shortage making it harder to keep up with demand, it's possible that simultaneous releases could continue well into 2022.

No matter what the reason is, PlayStation fans have to be happy to see resellers making less money! Bots have made it much more difficult for gamers to get the next-gen system, and a decreased profit margin could result in fewer flippers. That might mean the system will become easier to obtain through official retailers, but for now, fans will just have to wait and see what happens.

Are you still struggling to find a PlayStation 5? What do you think of these smaller profit margins for resellers? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

[H/T: Video Games Chronicle]