Hustling console product on eBay has become a lucrative second hand market for those with an eye for video games and preorders, but as next-generation console launches draw within weeks a look at sold listings paints a downward trend.
On October 17th, the average price of a PS4: Launch Edition bundle (that is to say, a console available on the day of launch, November 15th, and without any added software or accessories bundled with it) went for about $663. On the same day, Xbox One: Day One edition consoles (again, those available on launch day and without anything bundled with it) went for about $727.
It's important to note that Xbox One has another week of waiting in the warehouse and runs consumers an extra $100 over the price of a PS4. That means that on October 17th, Xbox One consoles sold on eBay for roughly 45% over the list price. On October 17th, PS4 consoles sold on eBay for roughly 65% over the list price.
Now, before we move on, I'll point out that we're not completely scientific here and there are a lot of holes in this data, including whether any of these sales have actually gone through or been honored by eBay who has struck down preorder sale auctions in the past.
Regardless, second hand sellers continue to flood eBay with hard to find console preorders, but neither console is making as much money today as it was two weeks ago. With Sony's launch on November 15th, PlayStation 4 consoles are selling at an average of $605 or 51% over list price. With three weeks to go until Microsoft's November 22nd launch date, Xbox One consoles are selling for an average $667 or 33% over list price.
That's a 14% drop for PlayStation 4 and a 12% drop for Microsoft. What happened to the hype guys? Did you find a console somewhere else? Have all the parents forgotten due to Halloween and will they come back in full force as we barrel through to Black Friday and the holiday shopping season?
Just how much are people willing to pay for a next-gen console at launch?
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