The PlayStation 5 became available in November 2020, and for quite some time it was rather difficult to find in retail stores. Plenty of PS5 consoles were bought and sold by individuals right from the beginning, and demand for a gently used PS5 remains strong in 2023. With the PS5 still in such high demand — if you sell your console, you’ll want to make sure it is packed safely so it doesn’t get damaged during shipping. Keep reading to learn more about the best way to ship a PS5.
What you need to ship your PlayStation 5
Preparing to ship a PlayStation 5 requires you to gather a few items, but don’t stress about this step because these items can easily be located. To get started you will need to gather the following three items:
- A sturdy shipping box
- Some packing materials such as bubble wrap or packing paper
- A roll of packing tape
The PS5 is fairly heavy, and when adding in controllers or other accessories — the package will get even heavier. Essentially, this means your shipping box needs to be sturdy and in good condition.
With as much stuff as people tend to get delivered to their homes or office these days, there is a good chance that you have a suitable box and packing material that you can reuse. Re-using materials is a great way to save money, but don’t worry if you don’t have a box and packing materials because they are relatively inexpensive.
What are the Sony PlayStation 5 dimensions?
Original retail boxes often get thrown away or damaged from sitting around in a garage. But given the PS5 is relatively new, we suspect a fair amount of owners still have the box available and in good condition. The best option to ship a PlayStation 5 is to re-use the retail box, which measures roughly 18.5” x 7” x 18.7”. Due to the size of the retail box, we recommend using a 20” x 20” x 10” shipping box because that will easily fit the PS5 box along with some bubble wrap.
| Console Dimensions | Console Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 (Standard Edition) | 15.4” (H) x 4.1” (W) x 10.2” (D) | 9.9 pounds |
| PlayStation 5 (Digital Edition) | 15.4” (H) x 3.6” (W) x 10.2” (D) | 8.6 pounds |
Using a 20” x 20” x 10” shipping box allows you to easily fit the console and any accessories. You should make sure to use packing material around the insides of the box, and that the console and any accessories are all individually wrapped in packing material. You will also need to make sure the items are snug in the box to avoid anything being shifted around and getting damaged during shipping.
How much does it cost to ship a PlayStation 5?
Shipping costs vary based on several factors, beginning with whether you choose to use USPS, FedEx, or UPS. But even then, the final price will be determined by the size of the package, the distance the item needs to travel, and the specific method of shipping.
We always recommend checking with each of the different shipping providers to see which option works best for your specific needs. Checking with each allows you to find the best price, the most convenient, or a combination of both.
For example, we’ll be shipping a standard edition PlayStation 5 from Atlanta (30033) to Seattle (98101) in a box that measures 20” x 20” x 10” and weighs 15 pounds.
Cost to ship a PlayStation 5 with USPS
USPS is the most common shipping provider used on Swappa, but bigger and heavier items like a PS5 and accessories will not qualify for Flat Rate shipping based on the box sizes.
Based on the example shipment noted above, you should expect to pay roughly $96 (as of October 2023) to ship a PS5 using USPS Retail Ground.
Cost to ship a PlayStation 5 with FedEx
FedEx is a great shipping provider to consider when shipping bigger or heavier packages. FedEx has regular retail shipping locations, and they also have FedEx OnSite locations which are found in other retail stores such as Walgreens. FedEx also allows you to use your own packaging, or purchase packing materials and have them pack the item. Naturally, having FedEx handle the packing will be at an additional cost.
Using the example shipment details noted above, FedEx would cost roughly $82 (as of October 2023) when using the FedEx Home Delivery option.
Cost to ship a PlayStation 5 with UPS
Similar to shipping with FedEx, UPS has numerous retail outlets spread across the country. UPS also allows senders to use their own packing materials or buy packing materials from them. Buying the materials from UPS, or having UPS handle the packing does add additional cost, but it could also give some peace of mind if you aren’t 100% confident in your packing abilities.
Sticking with the same shipment details from above, using UPS Ground would cost roughly $75 (as of October 2023).
The cheapest way to ship a PlayStation 5
Based on this example, UPS is going to be the cheapest way to ship your PlayStation 5 coming in at a little over $75. But while UPS is the cheapest based on this example, you should check each of the different shipping providers once you have your PS5 boxed up and ready to go. And, in addition to the cost of shipping, you should factor in the convenience. One provider may be a little cheaper than the other, but if a location is quicker or easier to access, that could make it the winner overall.
Get the most cash for your used Sony PlayStation 5 on Swappa
Swappa is a great place to sell your PlayStation 5 for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the key for lots of people is the money, and Swappa has fair fees, which means more money for you when you sell your PS5. Of course, the Swappa marketplace isn’t limited to the PS5 or game consoles, you can sell a gently used smartphone or smartwatch, a tablet, a laptop, and much more.
Swappa is an active marketplace, which often leads to quick sales. Swappa is also the safest marketplace for buying and selling gently used tech. You can get started selling on Swappa right now by tapping the green button below.
