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Sony caught the imaginations of gamers worldwide with the launch of its PlayStation 1-styled 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro model. It’s a fantastic-looking console, so it’s no wonder the limited numbers and global hype also caught the eyes of scammers.
You can now find 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro console pre-orders listed on eBay for $5,000—but they’re likely all scams. However, all is not lost, as enterprising eBayers are attempting to help would-be victims avoid the expensive scams.
The 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro Is Selling For How Much?!
Sony launched the pre-sale for the limited-edition console on September 26, 2024, and it sold out within minutes. Given only 12,300 units of the tribute livery were produced, this was to be expected, and the $999.99 pre-sale asking price was easily met.
Sure, it’s a couple of hundred more than the regular PS5 Pro, but it really is a limited run.
Of course, within minutes of the pre-sale launching, eBay listings offering a “confirmed” pre-sale slot began appearing, typically attempting to charge the buyer around $5,000 for the privilege of picking up the new unit.
Although most of the listings appear to come from different accounts, each uses the same language and image to promote the sale. It appears that a significant number of compromised eBay accounts are using the opportunity to scam would-be buyers for a significant amount of money.
Kind eBayers Assemble
However, among the extortionate scam listings for the 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro, I spotted a few heartwarming posts advising that all other listings were scams.
Though still titled as if they’re selling a 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro, the prices on these listings are set absurdly high—tens of thousands of dollars—so that no one will take them seriously. One reads:
DO NOT PURCHASE THOSE SCALPPED [sp] CONSOLES GUYS! DELIVERY DRIVERS OUT THERE ON LAUNCH DO GODS WORK LIKE AMAZON. . . AHHH MUST HAVE BEEN LOST IN THE WAREHOUSE. Additionally DO NOT! Be fooled by the PS5 Slim anniversary ALSO IN GREY, THAT IS NOT THE PRO MODEL
The above page was removed, and I’ve also seen a series of the supposed 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro listings removed, too. It’s a clear sign that eBay is at least making an attempt to protect its users from the scammers, though unfortunately, some are bound to slip through.
Switching the eBay search “30th Anniversary PS5 Pro” to show Sales brings up a massive 26 results on the first day of sales; these are likely seed sales designed to encourage others and validate the high prices of each PS5 Pro scam listing.
Don’t Trust Anyone Selling a 30th Anniversary Edition PS5 Pro—Yet
The pre-sale period is the easiest time to fall victim to a scam of this nature. There’s a lot of hype; people are desperate to get their hands on what will be a unique piece of tech, and the scammers know it.
One way you can check if a listing is a scam is by clicking through to the seller account and changing the Show Only settings in the sidebar to show Completed items and Sold items.
Selling one the pre-sale of one of these consoles for $5,000 is difficult to believe, but some greedy scammers have sold then relisted their fake unit.
Now, there could well be legitimate eBayers attempting to make a quick buck by flipping their 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro pre-sale ticket. It’s definitely possible, and some folks will have set out with this explicit goal. But given the risks involved and the money you could lose, I’d give it a miss.
