In German, the English word “scalper” only has unpleasant translations such as usurer, Absahner or Abzocker. In any case, this is not a group of people that receives much sympathy. After the usurers were able to make high profits on the PS5 and make a profit, they have now gambled away on the PS5 Pro and have to pay more.
What are scalpers? Scalpers are actually speculators when it comes to consoles, classic editions or even collectibles.
They purchase a product that they expect to be in short supply and increase in value on the release date. They then withdraw it from the market and hoard the product, thereby contributing to a shortage.
After all, they sell the product at a huge premium and for a huge profit when they believe the shortage has reached a peak.
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With the PS5, usurers got rich
What was it like with the PS5?? Sony’s PlayStation 5 had much higher demand than could be delivered. Mainly because there were delays in production due to supply chain problems.
As a result, there were very few PS5s on the market overall and scalpers who had purchased consoles in bulk at a very early stage created an additional artificial shortage. Therefore, scalpers who then bought new PS5s as soon as they were on offer were able to make a profit by selling their consoles to desperate buyers at a hefty premium.
According to reports from 2022, the PS5 was so profitable for scalpers that scalpers could make a living from it alone and finance a better life for their families.
Only those who missed the opportunity to sell the PS5 on time were left with their hoarded stocks and left behind.
When it comes to the PS5 Pro, those who have missed out on their stocks are stuck with their supplies
This is how it is now with the PS5 Pro: Scalpers also seem to have speculated on a shortage of consoles for the PS5 Pro and have stocked up on supplies. But this shortage now remains. Essentially, the PS5 Pro can be purchased freely in stores – probably because the console is expensive and only offers a relatively minor update compared to the normal PS5.
Therefore, scalpers are now forced to offer their PS5 Pro at a significantly reduced price on sites like eBay. On German eBay, the cheapest PS5 Pro is currently €580. A similar picture emerges in Spain, as 3DJuegos reports, where scalpers have to accept a loss of €30 to €50 per console.
However, usurers can once again make a good deal if they speculate on the CD drive. Because it actually only costs €120, but it is sold out everywhere and is sold for significantly more on Ebay. We warned about the phenomenon on MeinMMO as early as September 2024. Anyone who wants to buy a complete PS5 Pro will soon have to pay more than 1,000 euros