It is estimated that between 10 and 15% of all PS5 sold in the United States have been resold, generating huge profits for resellers, according to a new report.
Data engineer Michael Driscoll published the latest in a series of reports on the scalping market, this time focused on PS5. The report collected data from thousands of listings on eBay and StockX, through Jan. 16. Among other things, Driscoll included only ads that had actually sold, excluded any ads that used terms commonly found in fraudulent ads, excluded ads from low-feedback accounts, and removed all results that sold for less than the recommended retail price.
Driscoll was left with 157,000 PS5s sold at or above retail price on eBay and StockX; 7.06% of the 2.067 million PS5s estimated by VGChartz that were sold in the United States as of January 16, 2021. Driscoll subsequently looked at OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist active listings, concluding that it likely 10-15% of PS5s have been resold in the United States.
Driscoll’s report makes very interesting reading beyond the headline numbers. On eBay and StockX, the most recent estimated average price for a PS5 digital edition is $ 799 (twice its recommended price), while a disc edition is $ 849 (1.7 times the recommended price). Driscoll estimates that resellers have made $ 43.2 million in profit during that time, with eBay, PayPal and StockX making a combined $ 15.9 million as a result of the resales.
While we can’t be completely sure of the numbers involved (Sony has yet to release its own official data for the launch), the report puts the scale of PS5 reselling into perspective, especially with scalping becoming a major talking point. in the launch window of PS5, Xbox Series X / S and the new graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD.
Supply shortages and the widespread use of automated bots have led to price inflation and repeated disappointment for normal customers. Some UK politicians are even calling for the practice to be made illegal.
