{"id":3458,"date":"2026-04-13T17:12:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T17:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5fbd3223e4b082e810c731ab"},"modified":"2026-04-13T17:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T17:12:15","slug":"how-sneaker-culture-predicted-ps5-and-xbox-series-x-scalpers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/how-sneaker-culture-predicted-ps5-and-xbox-series-x-scalpers\/","title":{"rendered":"How Sneaker Culture Predicted PS5 and Xbox Series X Scalpers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAll major retailers and Sony, [they] had so many bugs and issues where the PS5 would get taken out of my cart,\u201d Ace tells IGN. So, after failing to secure a PlayStation 5 through the usual digital stores and even directly from Sony, Ace did what anyone does after missing a sale, and started shopping the gray market. Ace ended up paying $900 for a PlayStation 5 on Craigslist \u2013 and they weren’t the only ones going to such extreme measures.The PS5<\/a> and Xbox Series X<\/a> are this season\u2019s hottest items, and their popularity is wildly driving up prices among unofficial retailers<\/a>. It\u2019s a trend we\u2019ve seen in another industry, on a far more regular basis \u2014 the second-hand market<\/a> reacts similarly when there\u2019s a limited sneaker release from brands like Nike or Air Jordan.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an apt comparison, says Professor Jemayne Lavar King, an Assistant Professor of English at Johnson C. Smith University and author of Sole Food: Digestible Sneaker Culture<\/a>. Professor King says the way customers are responding to the hard-to-find PlayStation 5 \u2014 creating a surge in demand and prices in second-hand retailers \u2014 is part of a consumerist trend that\u2019s been building up over the years in no small part because of the rise of sneaker culture.<\/p>\n

<\/output>\u201cThe same individuals who would pay $500 for a pair of Nike Dunks, or maybe a pair of Air Jordans, or whatever shoe that happens to be in demand at the moment \u2014 these are the same individuals who are also playing the latest consoles,\u201d says Professor King. He says that the same consumer culture for sneakers has conditioned buyers into paying more for something that they can potentially get cheaper down the line if they wait.<\/p>\n

21st Century Customers<\/h2>\n

The first signs of trouble began when the PS5 suddenly became available for pre-order at different retailers, despite Sony promising that the pre-order date wouldn\u2019t be a surprise<\/a>. Notifications that PS5s were sold out quickly followed.<\/p>\n

Even the Xbox Series X<\/a>, which announced its pre-order date weeks in advance<\/a>, faced similar shortages. It seemed that anyone who couldn\u2019t get a pre-order was suddenly facing the reality that they might not be able to procure a new system, even by the end of this year.<\/p>\n

In the void of any official retail listings, scalpers have moved in, selling PS5s for sometimes triple the retail cost on sites like eBay and Craigslist.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot<\/p>\n

A snapshot of going PS5 prices on eBay. Captured by IGN.<\/p>\n

<\/output>\u201cWe know there\u2019s going to be an abundance of PlayStation 5s around the holiday season. But entrepreneurs are capitalizing on the pacemaking culture, the pick-me culture, the \u2018I have and you don\u2019t\u2019 culture. It\u2019s the same marketing,\u201d Professor King explains. He likens it succinctly by saying the second-hand console market is \u201cthe same offense in a different sport\u201d to the sneaker market.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people continue to buy products off these scalpers that are gouging the living heck out of the average consumer, then they will continue to gouge the living heck out of the average consumer. Do NOT buy a marked up console from these scumbags.\u201d – eBay reviewer<\/p>\n
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\u201c<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Even the official retailers are imitating the marketing strategies pioneered by streetwear fashion. Sony announced it would open up a limited number of PS5 orders directly to its most loyal PlayStation customers<\/a>, and other retailers have created digital queues for the next batch of PS5 or Xbox Series X sales, with a precise date and time for when the sale goes live.<\/p>\n

This is otherwise known as a \u201cdrop,\u201d a term that began simply by referring to a product release, but became synonymous with the streetwear industry thanks to brands like Supreme, whose product drops have led many zealous fans to camp outside stores for days to score items emblazoned with the red Supreme logo.<\/p>\n

The digitization of the drop is already well underway with sneaker brands. Nike\u2019s SNKRS app features a calendar of upcoming releases that customers can sign up to be notified of when they go up for sale. Valued customers are allowed early pre-order privileges, not unlike how Sony sent unique invites to PS5 pre-orders for loyal PlayStation players.<\/p>\n

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Confirmed PlayStation 5 Games<\/p>\n