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Buying Used PS5 Games: What to Check

A fair price for PS5 games in good condition is around £6 to £29 (approximately $8 to $39), against £10 to £45 across the full condition range. Disc games hold modest value that falls steadily, so condition of the disc and case is most of what buyers judge.

What a fair price looks like

Condition on WishThrift is described by the seller against five grades, and nobody inspects them on your behalf — so the description and the photographs are what you are buying on.

ConditionTypicalWhat it means
New with Tags£45 (~$60)Unused, tags or seals intact
Like New£38 (~$51)Barely used, no visible wear
Good£29 (~$39)Light signs of use, complete and working
Fair£20 (~$27)Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part
For Parts£11 (~$15)Not working or incomplete, sold as seen

Sterling guide ranges with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). Sellers set their own asking price; these are a starting point for judging an offer. All five grades explained.

The checklist before you pay

Missing proprietary cables and power supplies, controller stick drift, and optical drives that spin but no longer read.

Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether PS5 games is worth what is being asked:

  • Deep scratches causing read errors
  • Missing cases and artwork
  • Sports titles and annual releases
  • Digital codes already redeemed

And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:

  • Complete with case and original artwork
  • Discs free of deep scratches
  • Sought-after and limited editions
  • Complete collections sold together

Common faults and fakes

Counterfeit cartridges are common in retro titles and usually give themselves away on label print quality and the screws used on the shell.

Ask for a photograph of the console powered on with a game running, and for a list of exactly which cables and controllers are included.

WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or grade anything, and no marketplace check replaces your own. If a seller will not answer a direct question about condition or origin, that is the answer.

Questions to ask the seller

These are the three that get asked most often about PS5 games, and the answers tell you most of what you need:

“Are the codes unredeemed?”

Check and answer honestly. An unredeemed code adds real value; a redeemed one is worthless and claiming otherwise ends badly.

“Any scratches on the discs?”

Photograph the play surfaces under good light. PS5 discs are read at high speed and deep scratches genuinely cause failures.

“Will you sell them separately?”

Decide first. Individually valuable titles are usually worth listing alone; the rest are better bundled.

Also worth establishing before you commit:

  1. Hold each disc to the light at an angle
  2. Confirm the case and artwork are present
  3. State clearly whether any codes are unused

Photographs to ask for

If the listing does not already show these, ask — a seller who has the item will send them in minutes:

  1. The games laid out with spines and artwork visible
  2. The disc surfaces out of their cases
  3. Any insert, code card or steelbook detail
  4. Any scratch, cracked case or missing artwork

Details to confirm before you commit

  • Exact titles and editions, including any steelbook or special edition
  • Disc condition and whether cases and artwork are complete
  • Whether any download codes are included and unredeemed
  • Region of each disc

Live PS5 games listings

Nothing matching is listed at the moment. Browse gaming for what is live now, or everything on the site — stock changes daily and new listings are free to post, so it is worth checking back.

When to buy

Strong and steady, with a Christmas peak. Recent major titles sell within days; annual sports releases lose value sharply once the next edition lands, so sell those early.

Prices move against that cycle for a buyer: the cheapest time to buy is when sellers are listing most, not when demand peaks.

Paying and collecting safely

WishThrift does not process payments, hold funds or offer buyer protection — you agree the price and the method with the seller directly, which is what keeps the platform free on both sides. Meet somewhere public where you can, inspect before you pay, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed. Be wary of any seller who wants to move the conversation elsewhere before you have agreed anything.

Selling one instead?

If you already have PS5 games sitting unused, it is free to list and there is no commission — the price you agree is the amount you keep. Read how to sell PS5 games for what to photograph and how to price, or what PS5 games are worth at each condition grade.

Frequently asked questions

What should I pay for used PS5 games?

Around £6 to £29 in good condition, more for barely-used examples and less for anything with a described fault. Compare against the seller’s photographs rather than the grade alone.

How do I check PS5 games before buying?

Ask for a photograph of the console powered on with a game running, and for a list of exactly which cables and controllers are included.

Is buying PS5 games second hand safe?

Yes, with the ordinary care any private sale needs. WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or hold funds, so inspect before you pay where you can, meet somewhere public, and keep the conversation on the site. Missing proprietary cables and power supplies, controller stick drift, and optical drives that spin but no longer read.

See also: all buying guides · PS5 games value guide · selling PS5 games · Gaming · condition grades.