If you have been lucky enough to secure a pre-order for a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series console you might be looking to unload your old device. We thought it would be important to create a guide for everyone in the community on what to do with that old console. Should you sell your old console? Is it worth it to trade-in? Maybe it’s a better idea to just keep it? What’s the best value? How do I protect my data when selling a console?
Saying Goodbye, Maybe Not?
The first thing you need to do is to make sure you are ready to say goodbye. The Xbox Series S console doesn’t have a disc drive. If you have a collection of backward compatible games on disc this should give you pause. Additionally and of course, you would be losing access to current-gen games on disc. Other than that everything else should work just fine on the new Xbox consoles, controllers included.
Unfortunately, things on the PlayStation side are more complicated. Again, and obviously, if you are getting a digital edition of the console, know and understand that your physical games will not be coming with you. One added layer here with PlayStation is that even some digital games will not work. Although, Sony has come out and said that, “99% of all PS4 games will run on the PS5.”
With that in mind, it’s unlikely that pulled digital games like P.T. and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance will work on the PS5. I would not assume that games removed from the PlayStation Store will be compatible going forward. At least without checking to confirm first. Sony hasn’t been clear on this, so just know what you are getting into here. There is also the matter of region-specific games. While both the PS2 and the PS3 were backward compatible, that did not apply to region-specific games. Meaning, you can not play a U.S. PS1 or PS2 disc on a Japanese PS3.
There is another issue with the accessories. It appears as though the new camera may not work with PSVR. All mentions of VR are completely missing from the copy surrounding the new HD Camera. Plus, Sony is sending out free adapters for PSVR owners to connect the existing camera to the PlayStation 5. Yet, it’s not clear if the DualSense will support VR tracking either. If you are thinking about using the PS5 for VR or currently own a PSVR headset, you are going to want to keep those accessories.
Find The Best Deal
Right now GameStop is offering a promotion on trading in consoles towards both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. The old consoles get an additional $25 from what they normally trade-in. The deal on the consoles expires on November 30th, more than 2 weeks after launch. We by no means are shilling for GameStop; however, it’s important to note you can use this as a measuring stick for your current devices. As well as that guaranteed window of over two weeks after launch, when prices go down even further on the older consoles.
The $200 GameStop gives for either the Xbox One X and the PlayStation 4 Pro sets the bar on what you should be looking for. Plus, them offering this deal until November 30th gives you time after launch to find your stuff a new home. Now that you know the absolute floor for what you will get in return for the old console, you can take to places like eBay, OfferUp, LetGo, and Facebook Marketplace. The Xbox One X is currently trending at $280 on eBay. My local Facebook Marketplace has a few listed for $250. The PS4 Pro is sitting near $300. These prices are going to drop as we get closer to the launch of the new consoles as more come into the marketplace. Now that you are ready to say goodbye, don’t forget to do these key things before you sell that console.
Double Check The Disc Drive
This may sound simple and stupid. However, you would be surprised how many second-hand consoles I have bought with a game still inside. Make sure you eject any disc still in the console.
Backup Your Saves
If you are upgrading your Xbox console the games, controllers, and saves will move over. Games you own digitally and physically can always be re-installed. However, saves must be moved over somehow. Fortunately Xbox Live has cloud saves that follow your account around. It’s pretty seamless although not infinite. You can double-check your cloud saves by going to “My Apps and Games” then hover over any game, press the hamburger stack, or “Start” button on the controller, select “Manage game & add-on.” From the right-hand side, you will see “Saved data.” This will show saves by account. You can confirm here if the save for a certain game is backed up. In addition to cloud saves, you can back up both your game installs and game saves to an external device.
If you need to check or backup your cloud saves on the PS4 that requires PlayStation Plus. If you have PlayStation Plus, select “Application Saved Data Management” from the settings. Then from there, you will have the option to manage your saves stored locally on the PS4, saves store in online storage, as well as the saves stored on USB devices.
Remove Private Information From The Old Console
Even if you are going to trade the console into a store, or sell to a friend, you need to be responsible for your personal data. Currently, my console has my address, telephone number, credit card information, and access to a number of subscription services like Netflix and Game Pass. I would never hand this information over to a clerk at a store. I would never put a friend in a position where something could be bought under my account by mistake.
On the Xbox, you can erase all of your data, by removing external drives and from the settings select “System” on the left-hand menu. Then “Console info” on the right-hand side. The second option down is “Reset console.” That will wipe your device. Be careful, there is no turning back from here. On the PS4 from the system settings, the very last option is “Initialization” select that. From there select “Initialize PS4.” Then Select “Full.”
Prepare The Console To Be Sold
If you do plan on selling the console in an online marketplace, it helps to take good photos. Take the five minutes to clean the console off, remove any stickers or covers, and try to locate your original retail packaging if you can. There will be hundreds of thousands of consoles entering the resale storefronts over the next few months. It’s not going to do you any favors if your cables are tangled and the console is covered in dust.
Finally, stay safe. We wish everyone in the LOGNET community a safe and stress-free transition to the new console generation. Don’t let scammers in the used marketplace take advantage of you. Don’t ship that console without knowing the money has been transferred. Also, maybe bring a friend with you if you have to meet up with a buyer. These console generations come almost once a decade. Let’s enjoy this launch so we can look back years from now as we do on 9/9/99 or 11/15/2001.