Which PlayStation you have changes the number
The PS5 Pro sits at the top: 2TB of internal storage, digital in the box, no disc drive included. If you bought the drive separately and still have it, bring it, because it is an item of value in its own right rather than a bundled accessory.
The PS5 Slim came as a disc model and a digital model, and the drive detaches. A Slim that has lost its drive prices as a digital console, and drives have to be paired over the internet, so keep the two together.
The 2020 launch PS5 is the big 825GB unit. It still moves, but it is heavier, older and usually dustier, so it gets a closer look at the counter. An M.2 expansion SSD in the bay adds to the offer if you leave it in, or you can pull it and keep it. Say which before we quote.
The PS5 variants we buy, and what each one is checked for
Four machines, four different checks. The PS5 Pro is the 2TB digital flagship with no disc drive in the box, so the first thing we confirm is whether you still have the add-on drive, because it carries value on its own. The PS5 Slim comes in a disc version and a digital version, and that drive is the single biggest split in the range. The original launch console, the tall one people call the fat PS5, is still bought and still has a real number, but it runs hotter and louder than anything after it and that is where its checks concentrate.
On every unit we test the same core. Does it power on from its own lead, does the HDMI output hold a picture without flicker, do the USB ports read a drive, and does the fan settle rather than scream after twenty minutes under load. A console that shuts itself off mid-session is a repair job and is priced as one. On the disc models we also feed it a disc and listen, because a drive that grinds or refuses to eject is a common fault on a machine that has been moved around.
Tell us which variant you have in your first message and the quote that comes back is the one that holds. Each model listed on this page opens a WhatsApp chat with the machine already named, so the desk knows what is coming before you type a word.
Deactivate your account, then reset
Deactivate the console as your primary PS5 while it is still in front of you. The remote route, deactivating all devices from your PlayStation account online, can be used only once every six months, so it is not a safety net worth spending on a sale you can handle properly at home.
Remove any saved payment method, upload the saves you want to keep, then go to Settings, System, System Software, Reset Options and run the full reset. Let it finish before you unplug anything.
Bring the console's own power lead and an HDMI cable. A PS5 needs a proper high-speed cable to output what it is capable of, and a bare console has to be tested on ours.
Controllers and cosmetic condition
Stick drift on a DualSense is the most common deduction on a PS5. Both sticks on every pad are tested before an offer is confirmed, so declare it in your first message and the quoted number holds. Official controllers carry value that third-party pads do not, and a pad with a loose USB-C port counts as a repair rather than a spare.
Cosmetics count too. Yellowed white panels, deep scuffs, sticker residue and aftermarket faceplates pull the offer down; the console stand and the accessories that shipped with it pull it up. Faceplates come off during the test, because they are usually hiding something.