PS4 trade-in for PS5: Where can you trade in your PS4 and DualShock controller? How much would you get for trading in a PS4 Pro? Should you trade-in your PS4 for a PS5, and will it make your PS5 cheaper?


The PS5's release is upon us, and that means we're also approaching the end of the PS4. It's a sad time, but also a time for reflection, rebirth, and change.

With there being a global pandemic going on, it could well be that the PS5 is going to cost a touch too much for some people. That means it might be time to trade your PS4 in to try and knock some money off of the next-gen Sony hardware.

How much are you likely to get for a PS4 though, and even if it's going to be a decent amount of money, is it really worth saying goodbye to your old friend?

READ MORE:PS5 restock date and availability tracker

Well, to help you in this trying time, we've put together some help...

Where can you trade in a PS4?

The main places you can trade-in your PlayStation 4 in the UK are CEX and GAME.

However, GAME is currently not accepting online trade-ins, and with the store's closed until the UK's second lockdown ends, you won't be able to sell your console there just yet.

CEX, however, is still buying old products through a 'Drop & GO' system in its stores across the UK, meaning that as it stands you can sell your Xbox One to a retailer.

There's also the matter of how much you'll actually get for your console.

READ MORE: How to move your PS4 games from external hard drive to the PS5 internal SSD

How much is your PS4 worth? How much will you get for a PS4?

There are lots of different reasons why your PS4 could be worth more or less depending on the version of PS4, the state it's in, whether it's boxed or unboxed, and games and peripherals you're throwing in too.

Getting an exact price for trade-ins, whether for cash or some kind of voucher, isn't an easy thing to do, so we've looked at CEX and are going to use the strange range they have.

At the moment, the base PS4 will net you around £80-£100 depending on its condition and storage capacity, while the PS4 Slim and PS4 are currently being bought by CEX for £90-£120 and £100-£140, respectively. Having Limited Edition or Special Edition variants of these consoles will also increase the amount CEX will give you.

It's worth noting that these prices have dropped since we previously checked ahead of the PS5's launch and, if lots of people try to trade-in their PS4 prior to the PS5's release, retailers may start offering less for the current-gen console.

You'll be able to get a bit more if you choose CEX vouchers over hard cash, but if you're looking to buy a PS5 with this money, CEX doesn't appear to have any next-gen consoles in stock.

READ MORE:BBC shares statement on the missing iPlayer app for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S

ps5 price
click to enlarge
+ 2
Hot off the press, the confirmed launch prices for the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition.

Is it worth trading your PS4 for a PS5?

Naturally, it depends on whether you'll have any use for your PS4 once you've upgraded to a new model. Normally, it's worth holding on to an older console in case you want to play some of your old games.

However, the PS5 has a degree of backwards compatibility, which means that might not be a consideration at all. Sony has confirmed that "more than 99% of PS4 games" will be playable on the PlayStation 5 console at launch, meaning you won't be saying goodbye to all your favourite current-gen titles.

The question is whether you want to take up your PlayStation 5 storage with older titles. With the PS5's 667GB of usable storage that currently cannot be extended until custom SSD's are made, large PlayStation 4 games could quickly fill up your console.

We're likely to hold onto our PS4 to use as a multimedia hub, but trading yours in makes perfect sense if you've no longer got any use for it. We'll be sure to let you know if/when some official PS4 trade-in deals appear on the web!

READ MORE: Donating your games consoles in the UK: How to donate an old Xbox One, PS4 or Nintendo Switch to charity

Should you trade-in your PS4 for a PS5 Digital Edition?

If you still want to make the shift to next-gen but don't want to splash out on a premium PlayStation 5, the PS5 Digital Edition is being marketed as a cheaper alternative.

The Digital Edition will be priced at £359.99 in the UK, which is £90 less than the full-fat PS5.

If you tend to buy all your games digitally, trading your PS4 for a digital-only PS5 seems like the best option if you're intending to play PS5 exclusives like Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

However, if you want to play all your physical games on the next-gen consoles, the Digital Edition lacks a disc drive, essentially reducing your PS4 games to decoration, unless you sell those too.

READ MORE: PS5 Digital Edition vs Xbox Series S

Should you trade-in your DualShock 4 controller?

When you buy a new console it can be quite tricky to know what to do with your old controllers. While Microsoft confirmed that Xbox One controllers will work on the Series X, it's a bit more complicated with the DualShock and PS5.

The old DualShock will work on the PS5, but only with PS4-compatible games.

If you're set on trading in your DualShock, CEX will offer you around £20 for your PS4 controller.

Dualsense
click to enlarge
+ 2
Will the DualSense render the DualShock 4 useless?

Does this mean you should trade-in your PS4 controller? Not necessarily.

According to Sony, the DualShock will work with "supported PS4 games" on the PS5. This rather vague statement is open for interpretation, as it could mean the DualShock will work with games such as FIFA 21, Call of Duty,Cyberpunk 2077andother third-party games confirmed for both the PS4 and PS5.

If this is the case, we'd recommend keeping ahold of your DualShock, at least until PS4 support dwindles from more studios, as the controller could be used for local multiplayer/co-op play in certain games or be used as a backup for when your DualSense is charging.

It's also worth noting that if you're planning to make the jump to Xbox for xCloud streaming on your phone, the DualShock 4 controller is compatible with mobile devices. This means that, if you connect your DualShock to your phone via Bluetooth, you'll be able to play Xbox games such as Halo or Gear 5 with a PlayStation controller. What a world we live in.

READ MORE:DualSense controller explained

PS5 pre-orders opened and sold out quickly!

As promised, PS5 pre-orders began on 17th September 2020, with retailers around the world scrambling to get their product pages online - and customers racing to place orders before stocks ran out.

As expected, the PS5 sold out its first wave of pre-orders incredibly fast. The Amazon page, which you can check here, says 'Currently Available', and listings for Argos and Currys also appear sold out.

So what does this mean for trade-ins?

If you haven't already secured a PS5 console, we'd recommend keeping ahold of your PlayStation 4 until you know you'll definitely be getting a next-gen console. This way, you won't be left console-less this Winter, and will still be able to play the likes of Watch Dogs Legion, Cyberpunk 2077 and even Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

However, we'd recommend keeping an eye on those PS5 product pages above, just in case new waves of PlayStation 5 stock comes in.

There is also a whole family of official PS5 products, from headsets to charging stations, which are available to order now - you can click here to check out the range.

CLICK HERE: What’s included in the box with the PS5?

For more articles like this, take a look at our Gaming and Next-Gen page.