Every major console got more expensive in 2026. Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Valve all raised prices between April and September, which puts a new PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch 2, or Steam Deck further out of reach than it was at launch. This guide covers what each platform costs new and used right now, what to check before you buy, and how to sell a console safely.
Updated September 24, 2026, with the Nintendo Switch 2, this year’s console price increases, and current Swappa prices.
Quick Answer
Used consoles on Swappa sold for roughly 20 to 57% less than new in September 2026, depending on the platform. A used Xbox Series X averaged about $541 against $799.99 new, and a used PS5 Slim about $503 against $649.99. Before you buy, confirm the console isn’t locked to someone else’s account or banned from online play (the big risk on a Switch 2). Before you sell, unlink your accounts and run a full factory reset.
2026 Console Prices: New vs. Used
New console prices usually drop over time. In 2026 they went the other way. Here is what each current console costs new today and what it has actually sold for used on Swappa.
| Console | New Price (US) | Avg. Used Sale on Swappa | Roughly How Much Less |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 Slim (disc) | $649.99 | $503 | 23% |
| PS5 Slim Digital | $599.99 | $452 to $476 | 21 to 25% |
| PS5 Pro | $899.99 | Check live listings | Varies |
| Xbox Series X (1TB) | $799.99 | $541 | 32% |
| Xbox Series S (512GB) | $499.99 | $317 | 37% |
| Xbox Series S (1TB) | $599.99 | $359 | 40% |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | $499.99 | Few listings, many are bundles | Varies |
| Nintendo Switch OLED | $399.99 | $205 | 49% |
| Nintendo Switch (original) | $339.99 | $146 | 57% |
| Nintendo Switch Lite | $229.99 | About $138 (asking) | About 40% |
| Steam Deck OLED (512GB) | $789 | $607 | 23% |
| Steam Deck OLED (1TB) | $949 | $693 | 27% |
New prices are US manufacturer list prices as of September 24, 2026. Used prices are Swappa average sale prices on the same date, rounded. Used prices move with condition, storage, and what comes in the box, and retailer sales can undercut list prices, so check the live price pages before you buy.
What Changed and When
- PlayStation 5 (April 2, 2026): Sony raised the PS5 to $649.99, the PS5 Digital Edition to $599.99, and the PS5 Pro to $899.99. The PlayStation Portal went to $249.99. (PlayStation Blog)
- Steam Deck OLED (May 27, 2026): Valve raised the 512GB model from $549 to $789 and the 1TB model from $649 to $949. The last LCD Steam Deck was discontinued in December 2025.
- Xbox Series X and Series S (August 1, 2026): Microsoft added $100 to 512GB models and $150 to 1TB models. The Series S is now $499.99 (512GB) or $599.99 (1TB), the Series X Digital is $749.99, and the Series X is $799.99. Microsoft also discontinued the 2TB Series X. (Xbox Wire)
- Nintendo Switch 2 (September 1, 2026): The Switch 2 went from $449.99 to $499.99. Original Switch, OLED, and Lite prices did not change in this round. (Nintendo)
Microsoft tied its increase to memory and storage costs, and Valve pointed to component and logistics costs. Memory chips in particular have climbed in price as AI data centers buy up supply. Sony and Nintendo cited broader economic and market conditions. Microsoft said console memory and storage costs have risen more than 2.5x and that it expects them to double again by fall 2027, so don’t plan on new console prices falling soon.
What Else Changed in the 2026 Console Market
Prices weren’t the only shift this year. These changes affect which used console makes sense to buy or sell.
- GTA VI launches November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S only. It will not run on a PS4 or Xbox One. Demand for used current-gen consoles is likely to rise in the weeks before launch, so buying in September or October may mean more choice. That’s a forecast, not a guarantee.
- Sony will stop producing discs for new PlayStation games in January 2028. Games released on disc before then are not affected, and disc-drive PS5s will keep playing them. See the disc vs. digital section below for what that means for buyers.
- The Switch 2 is now Nintendo’s main console. That has turned the original Switch family into the cheapest way into the Nintendo library: an original Switch sold for about $146 on Swappa in September 2026.
- Valve’s Steam Machine launched June 29, 2026, starting at $1,049. It’s a living-room PC that runs SteamOS, and used supply is still thin.
Why Buy a Used Console
New current-generation consoles now list for $499.99 to $899.99, and 2026 proved those prices can rise years after launch. A used unit of the same model typically sells for roughly 20 to 57% less on Swappa, and the hardware is identical. The game library is already deep, and you get the same experience at a lower entry point. Subscriptions haven’t gotten cheaper (Xbox Game Pass Ultimate went up in October 2025), which makes saving on the hardware matter more.
Availability is the other factor. Specific configurations go out of production: the 2TB Xbox Series X and the LCD Steam Deck were discontinued in the past year, and every PS4 and Xbox One model is long out of production. Once retail stock runs out, the used market is often the only place to find them at any price.
Used also makes sense as a gift or first console for a younger player, where paying full retail isn’t warranted. For the lowest-cost options, see Best Cheap Game Consoles and Accessories (2026). If you’re deciding between a used unit and a manufacturer-refurbished one, Refurbished vs. Used Consoles: What’s the Better Buy? breaks down the trade-offs.
Choose Your Platform
Not all consoles have the same resale dynamics. Here’s an orientation to each major platform and what to expect when buying or selling used.
PlayStation
PlayStation 5 comes in three generations of hardware: the original PS5 (2020, 825GB), the smaller PS5 Slim (late 2023, 1TB), and the PS5 Pro (2024, 2TB). The original and Slim come in disc and digital editions, and the Slim Digital and Pro accept an add-on disc drive. After Sony’s April increase, a used PS5 Slim disc edition sold for about $503 on Swappa, and an original PS5 for about $436. Both run GTA VI.
PlayStation 4 (including PS4 Slim and PS4 Pro) remains the budget play at roughly $114 to $180 used. The library is enormous and most PS4 games also run on a PS5, but new Sony exclusives and GTA VI are PS5 only. For model-by-model prices, see Is the PS4 Still Worth Buying in 2026?
For a full breakdown of every model, see the Used PlayStation Buyer’s Guide: PS5 vs. PS5 Pro vs. PS4.
Xbox
The Xbox Series X is Microsoft’s flagship, with a disc drive, 1TB of storage, and backward compatibility stretching back to original Xbox titles. The Xbox Series S is a disc-less, lower-resolution alternative. Of the three big console makers, Xbox raised prices the most in 2026, and used Xbox hardware now shows the widest gap to new among current-gen consoles: a used Series X sold for about $541 on Swappa against $799.99 new, and a used Series S for about $317 to $359.
Xbox One (including One S and One X) is previous-gen, and an Xbox One S sells for around $115 to $130 used. It still plays a large back catalog, but it can’t run GTA VI or Microsoft’s newer first-party games, which are Series X and S only.
For a full breakdown, see the Used Xbox Buyer’s Guide: Series X vs. Series S vs. One.
Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 launched June 5, 2025, and has cost $499.99 new since September 1, 2026. It comes in one hardware configuration, so buying used is about condition and history, not picking a model. It has a 7.9-inch 1080p screen at up to 120Hz, 4K output through the dock, 256GB of storage, magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers, and it plays most original Switch games.
Used supply is still thin. On September 24, 2026, Swappa had five Switch 2 listings: two console-only units at $423 and $618, and three bundles with games or extra controllers priced from $567 to $772. When comparing a bundle to a new console, add up what the included games and controllers would cost on their own.
The biggest used Switch 2 risk is a console ban. Nintendo can block a console’s serial number from online services, and a factory reset does not clear it. Before you pay, have the seller connect to Wi-Fi and open the Nintendo eShop. Error code 2124-4007 or 2124-4508 means the console is banned. Swappa does not allow network-banned consoles.
For the full checklist, see the Used Nintendo Switch 2 Buyer’s Guide.
Nintendo Switch (Original, OLED, Lite)
The original Switch family comes in three versions: the original Switch (dockable, TV output), the Switch Lite (handheld-only, no TV output), and the Switch OLED (larger OLED screen, improved audio, still dockable). All three play the same game library, except games that need detached Joy-Con.
With the Switch 2 now mainstream, these models sell for about half their new price. A Switch OLED sold for about $205 on Swappa in September 2026 against $399.99 new. Because the Switch 2 plays most original Switch games, a cheap Switch today doesn’t strand your library if you upgrade later. Factor condition carefully: Joy-Con drift is a known issue that affects resale value and usability.
For a full breakdown, see the Used Nintendo Switch Buyer’s Guide: OLED vs. Lite vs. Original.
Handheld PCs
Handheld gaming PCs run full PC game libraries and have an active used market. After Valve’s May increase, the Steam Deck OLED costs $789 or $949 new, while used units sold for about $607 to $693 on Swappa. With the LCD model discontinued, a used Steam Deck LCD (about $393 to $436) is now the cheapest way into a Deck.
The ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X (ASUS and Microsoft, launched October 2025 at $599.99 and $999.99) and the Lenovo Legion Go S round out the category. These are higher-priced devices with more to evaluate, but used savings are meaningful.
For a full comparison, see Used Handheld Gaming PCs: Steam Deck vs. ROG Ally vs. Legion Go.
Disc vs. Digital Editions: What It Means Used
Several current consoles ship in both disc and digital editions. This is a bigger decision when buying used than it sounds, and Sony’s 2028 announcement changes the math a little.
Disc edition consoles play physical media, which means you can buy, sell, trade, and lend game discs. Used discs are often much cheaper than digital copies of the same game. Disc editions typically command higher prices used.
Digital-only consoles (PS5 Digital Edition, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X Digital) lock you into the platform’s store for every purchase. You cannot resell or lend digital games. The hardware costs less, but your ongoing game spending is harder to control. Nintendo is different: every Switch and Switch 2, including the Switch Lite, plays game cartridges. Some Switch 2 games ship as Game-Key Cards, which hold little or no game data and need a download (and a working, non-banned online connection) to play.
What Sony’s 2028 change means. Sony will stop producing physical discs for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles starting in January 2028. Games released on disc before then keep working, and Sony is still selling disc-drive PS5s. So a disc PS5 remains the way to play and resell the existing physical library, but new PlayStation releases after 2028 will be digital-only.
For most buyers, the choice comes down to how you buy games. If you already own discs or want cheap used games, get a disc model. If you mostly buy digital during sales, a digital edition saves money up front.
One critical note: a disc-edition console with a broken disc drive is functionally a digital console, and sellers sometimes don’t disclose this. Ask explicitly whether the drive reads discs, and test it if possible.
How to Buy Safely: Inspection and Condition
For a step-by-step walkthrough, see How to Inspect a Used Console Before You Buy. Condition is where used console purchases succeed or fail. Check these before any transaction:
Account locks. The console should not still be tied to the previous owner’s PlayStation Network, Microsoft, or Nintendo account. On a PS5 that means Console Sharing and Offline Play is disabled, on an Xbox it means the seller removed it as their home Xbox, and on a Switch or Switch 2 it means the seller unlinked it from their Virtual Game Cards. This is the most common source of problems with used consoles.
Online bans. Nintendo can ban a Switch or Switch 2 from online services if it was modified for piracy, and the ban stays with the hardware after a reset. Have the seller connect to the internet and open the eShop before you pay.
Factory reset and parental controls. A console should boot to first-time setup. Leftover parental-control PINs or profiles from the previous owner can block settings until they’re removed.
Physical condition. Check the disc drive (if applicable), HDMI port, USB ports, and controller connectors. On the original Switch, check the Joy-Con rails; on the Switch 2, check that the magnetic Joy-Con 2 connectors attach firmly. On handhelds, check the screen for dead pixels and cracks.
Controllers. Ask whether controllers are included. Original controllers add value; third-party replacements do not command the same price. Test for stick drift on Joy-Con, Joy-Con 2, DualSense, and Xbox controllers.
Storage. Confirm what’s included and how you’d expand it. Xbox Series consoles use proprietary expansion cards, the PS5 takes M.2 SSDs, the original Switch uses standard microSD, and the Switch 2 accepts only microSD Express cards, which cost more.
For a complete condition grading framework, see Used Electronics Condition Grades, Explained.
What Used Consoles Are Worth
Prices shift with new hardware announcements, game releases, price increases, and seasonal demand. There’s no single “correct” price for a used console. A PS5 in excellent condition will fetch more than one with cosmetic wear, and bundle contents (extra controllers, games) affect pricing too. For how pricing works across categories, see Used Tech Resale Value: The Complete Pricing Guide.
For current market pricing, the most accurate reference is recent sales: see what used consoles are selling for on Swappa.
A few patterns that hold in 2026:
- Current-gen consoles are holding value. With new PS5 and Xbox prices up $100 to $150, used PS5 and Xbox Series X units still sell well above half their new price.
- Previous-gen hardware is at its floor. A PS4 or Xbox One sells for roughly $115 to $180 and is some of the best value in the market, as long as you don’t need GTA VI or new exclusives.
- Original Switch models now sell for about half of new. With buyers moving to the Switch 2, the OLED, original, and Lite have become the budget way into Nintendo’s library.
- Handheld PCs depreciate fastest in the first year, then stabilize. The Steam Deck OLED’s higher new price has made used units a more attractive alternative.
- The Switch 2 is too new to have a settled used price. Compare any listing against the $499.99 new price and count what a bundle includes.
How to Sell a Console
For the full seller walkthrough, see How to Sell a Used Console and Games for the Most Money.
Before listing, back up your saves (PlayStation Plus cloud storage, Xbox’s automatic cloud saves, or Nintendo Switch Online’s Save Data Cloud), remove your payment methods, and sign out. Then unlink the console from your account and factory reset it:
| Platform | Unlink Your Account | Factory Reset |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 | Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play > Disable | Settings > System > System Software > Reset Options > Reset Your Console |
| Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One | Settings > General > Personalization > My home Xbox > remove this console as your home Xbox | Settings > System > Console info > Reset console > Reset and remove everything |
| Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 | HOME Menu > Virtual Game Cards > Settings > select the console > Unlink | System Settings > System > Formatting Options > Initialize Console |
Nintendo replaced the old “primary console” setting with Virtual Game Cards in system update 20.0.0, so guides that tell you to deregister a primary console in the eShop are out of date. For the full Nintendo steps, see How to Factory Reset a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2.
Do not skip this step. Leaving account data on a sold console creates problems for both parties and can result in the sale being reversed.
For shipping and packing guidance, see How to Ship a Gaming Console Safely (and for the Best Price). Consoles need firm double-boxing. The original packaging is ideal; if you don’t have it, use a box sized to allow 2 to 3 inches of padding on all sides.
Important: Swappa’s listing standards require consoles to be fully functional and free of water damage, and network-banned consoles aren’t allowed. A console with a dead disc drive, a cracked case, or another hardware fault doesn’t qualify. Describe cosmetic wear accurately: listings go through staff review, and misrepresented items result in required returns at the seller’s expense.
Buy and Sell Used Consoles on Swappa
Swappa’s gaming marketplace covers PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, handheld PCs, VR headsets, and controllers. Listings are staff-reviewed before going live.
For buyers:
- Browse verified listings with seller ratings and transaction history.
- Payments process through PayPal (with buyer protection and dispute resolution) or Stripe for select sellers.
- If a console arrives not as described, you’re entitled to a refund. Swappa’s support team operates 24/7/365 with roughly 20-minute response times.
- A flat 3% buyer fee applies (already built into the listing price), plus applicable state sales tax. No auction-style bidding.
- Shipping is free.
For sellers:
- Listing is free. Swappa charges a flat 3% seller fee on completed sales, lower than typical auction-site fees.
- Payment processing fees apply: PayPal charges 3.49% plus $0.49; Stripe charges 2.9% plus $0.30 for select sellers.
- AI fraud prevention screens buyers before they can complete purchases.
- Sellers are protected through PayPal’s seller protection on eligible transactions.
For how and when payouts arrive, see How Sellers Get Paid: Marketplace Payouts Explained.
FAQ
Is it safe to buy a used game console?
Yes, if you buy from a marketplace that reviews listings before they go live and offers buyer protection. Swappa staff-reviews listings, does not allow network-banned consoles, and processes payments through PayPal with buyer protection. Buying from an unverified private seller carries more risk.
How much can I save buying a used console in 2026?
On Swappa in September 2026, used consoles sold for roughly 20 to 57% less than new. A used Xbox Series X averaged about $541 against $799.99 new, a used PS5 Slim about $503 against $649.99, and a used Switch OLED about $205 against $399.99. Newer consoles like the Switch 2 usually have smaller discounts.
Why did game console prices go up in 2026?
Sony raised PS5 prices on April 2, Valve raised Steam Deck OLED prices on May 27, Microsoft raised Xbox prices on August 1, and Nintendo raised the Switch 2 to $499.99 on September 1. Microsoft pointed to memory and storage costs and Valve to component costs, as AI data centers buy up memory chip supply. Sony and Nintendo cited broader economic and market conditions.
Is a used Nintendo Switch 2 worth buying?
Yes, if the price beats the $499.99 new price once you count what’s included, and you confirm the console isn’t banned. Have the seller connect to Wi-Fi and open the eShop before you pay, because a ban stays with the console after a factory reset. Used supply is still limited, and many listings are bundles.
What is the best used console to buy right now?
It depends on your games and budget. For GTA VI (November 19, 2026) and new releases, a used PS5 Slim or Xbox Series X is the pick. For Nintendo exclusives, the Switch 2 is the current console, while a used Switch OLED at about half its new price is the budget option. For the cheapest entry, a used PS4 or Xbox One costs roughly $115 to $180.
How do I prepare a console to sell?
Back up your saves, remove payment methods, and unlink the console from your account: disable Console Sharing and Offline Play on a PS5, remove it as your home Xbox, or unlink it from your Virtual Game Cards on a Switch. Then factory reset it, pack it with 2 to 3 inches of padding, and describe any cosmetic wear accurately.
The Bottom Line
The used console market is mature, and after a year of price increases, the savings matter more than they did at launch. Whether you’re buying your first console or selling one you’ve outgrown, the process is straightforward: match the right platform to your games, verify the console isn’t locked or banned, price it against recent sales, and transact through a marketplace with buyer and seller protections built in.
Swappa covers every major platform with staff-reviewed listings, verified sellers, and payment protection through PayPal. No auction bidding, no inflated fees.
