Gamestop is offering its premium-level customers the opportunity to earn $69 for switching teams from PlayStation to Xbox, exchanging their old consoles for refurbished units. This latest marketing tactic from GameStop doesn't seem all that popular on the surface, but it could be a way for gamers desperate for some quick cash to make a little money while still having a modern-day console to play on.
Still the world's largest brick-and-mortar video game retail chain store brand, GameStop's presence is just what it used to be, as the growth of online shopping and the gradual move toward digital game downloads has impacted the entire video game retail industry for more than a decade. From a peak of more than 6,000 locations worldwide in mid-2010, GameStop store closures have cut that number by more than half, with more than 400 locations reported to close by January 2025 alone. Since then, the company has managed to keep stores open by evolving its business strategy, which sometimes includes implementing some unconventional practices for a video game store, such as cell phone buybacks and trading card grading.
GameStop makes bold announcements about the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U that will make you feel nostalgic.
GameStop shares an announcement about the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii U that will make gaming fans feel a lot older than they thought.
GameStop wants to pay players to switch from PlayStation to Xbox
In one such campaign recently announced, GameStop is offering some customers the chance to trade in a refurbished Xbox Series S for their PlayStation 5 consoles for up to $69. According to GameStop, that ridiculous-sounding dollar amount was chosen because it reflects the difference in Pro Store credit between the PlayStation 5 Slim console disc version and the refurbished Xbox Series S 512 GB model.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
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Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5) Medium (7) Hard (10)
Before gamers head to their nearest GameStop location with a PS5 in hand, there are a few caveats hidden in the fine print of this deal, which is valid until April 4. First, the offer is only available to customers enrolled in the GameStop Pro membership program, which charges a membership fee of $25 per year but offers additional benefits with game purchases. Next, GameStop employees will inspect trade-in PS5 units to ensure they are in good working order and include all required components, and units that do not meet store standards will not receive full trade-in value. All trades will be final, and they will be closed at the discretion of store staff.
Based on the comments on GameStop's post, it doesn't look like many people are interested in switching from the PS5 to the Xbox Series S. While both Xbox and PlayStation still have their die-hard fans, Microsoft released the Series S as a budget-friendly alternative to the more powerful Series X, a fact that many gamers seem to appreciate. Per Xbox's own website, the standard Series X's best features include nearly double the base storage space, a processor that's three times more powerful, and resolution in True 4K, as opposed to 1080p on the Series S. Games are still being released with compatibility for both models, but even recent comparisons between the Xbox Series X and S show no limitation in performance, not limited to the higher reaches. A noticeable drop in visual quality when playing on Series S.
The offer is also quite unusual, considering GameStop built its empire on selling used games. Unlike the exact models of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 that the company used to determine the $69 price difference, the Xbox Series S has no disc drive, and is unable to play any physical games, which were the basis of GameStop's business model. GameStop isn't the first retailer to make such a misguided move either, as in 2023, German electronics store MediaMarkt failed to recognize a shortage of an Xbox Series S disc drive, inexplicably bundling it for sale with physical copies. FIFA 23.
