Buying a used PS5, Xbox or Nintendo Switch locally: tests, bans and scams

Consoles are one of the best things to buy used. They are built to run for years, people sell them when life gets busy, and a second-hand one plays the same games as a new one. They are also one of the most scammed items on Marketplace and Kijiji, because they are small, valuable and easy to resell. The good news is that almost every problem shows up in a ten-minute test at the meetup.

The 10-minute test checklist

Ask the seller to have it set up on a TV, or meet somewhere with a screen and a power outlet (some shops and police exchange zones have neither, so plan this). Bring your own HDMI cable and a game disc if the console has a drive.

1. Power it on from cold. It should boot to the home screen without errors. A console that is already running when you arrive may be hiding a slow or failed boot.
2. Check the system information. Open the console information screen in Settings and compare the model and serial with the sticker on the console and on the box. Note the storage size and how much is free.
3. Go online with your own account. Connect to the seller’s Wi-Fi or your phone’s hotspot, sign in with your account and open the store or an online menu. This is the single most important test, and it is the only way to catch an online ban.
4. Play a disc. On a disc model, insert a game or film and play it for a minute. Listen for grinding, and check the disc ejects cleanly.
5. Test every controller. Move each stick slowly in a circle and let go: the cursor or character should stop dead. Drift is common on older controllers. Press every button, including triggers, and check the charging port.
6. Listen and feel. After ten minutes of play, the fan should be steady, not whining or rattling. The case should be warm, not hot.
7. Try every port. Plug a controller or USB stick into each USB port, and check the HDMI port isn’t loose.
8. Watch the seller remove their account. Before you pay, they should sign out, remove their user and do a factory reset in front of you. If they can’t remember their password, that is a warning sign.

Nintendo Switch: bans and cloned games

Nintendo bans consoles it catches running pirated games. A banned Switch still plays games offline, but its online services are blocked: no eShop, no online play, no cloud saves and no downloads, which on a Switch 2 also leaves game-key cards unusable, since they download the game. When you try to go online, the console shows error code 2124-4508 with a message that its use of online services is restricted. A factory reset doesn’t lift the ban, and resetting a banned console can remove access to games that were downloaded to it.

Why it matters to a buyer: modded and banned Switches are sold as normal consoles all the time, often by people who know exactly why they are selling. Words like “modded”, “jailbroken”, “CFW” or “homebrew” in the listing mean the console has been altered. The test is simple: sign in with your Nintendo Account at the meetup and open the eShop. If it connects, the console isn’t banned.

There is a second risk with used games. In 2025, Switch 2 owners reported online bans after playing second-hand Switch cartridges that a previous owner had copied with a flash cart and then sold on. Nintendo’s system flagged the same cartridge running in two places. In one widely reported case, Nintendo lifted the ban after the buyer showed support where they had bought the games. If you buy used cartridges, buy from a seller who will give you their name and a message trail, and keep both.

Before you pay, the seller should remove their Nintendo Account from the console and, on an original Switch, deregister it as their primary console. Otherwise their digital games may remain tied to it in ways that confuse your own setup.

PlayStation and Xbox specifics

PS5 models. There are three generations: the launch model (CFI-1000 to CFI-1200), the smaller Slim (CFI-2000, from late 2023) and the Pro (CFI-7000, from late 2024). Each came as a disc version or a Digital Edition, except the Pro, which has no drive. Slim Digital and Pro consoles can take Sony’s add-on disc drive, so a “PS5 with disc drive” listing may be a Digital console with the drive attached. Test it with a disc either way. The model number is on the console’s label and in its system information.

PlayStation account settings. Ask the seller to turn off Console Sharing and Offline Play (Settings, Users and Accounts, Other) and to sign out before the reset. If they skip it, their account can stay linked to the console.

Xbox models. The Series X is the larger, more powerful console and usually has a disc drive (Microsoft added all-digital Series X editions in 2024). The Series S is smaller, digital-only and cheaper. Check the storage size: Series S models came with 512 GB or 1 TB, and many games are large.

Xbox account settings. The seller should remove their account and change their home Xbox setting before a factory reset. Microsoft’s own selling checklist covers both. A home Xbox setting left on lets their digital games run for anyone on that console, which sounds like a bonus but disappears the day they buy a new one.

Scams to watch for

• Box only. Listings for “PS5 box”, “empty box” or a photo of a box with a full-console price. Some are honest sales of a box; many are meant to catch someone who skims. Troy police in Michigan warned when the PS5 launched that buyers “may just be buying the box”.
• The sealed box with a surprise inside. A shrink-wrapped box full of something heavy, like the concrete block an eBay buyer received. A “sealed, never opened” console at a good price is exactly where this happens. Open it at the meetup.
• Robbery at the meetup. Consoles are easy to grab. Troy police described fake buyers who asked to look at a PS5 from inside their car, then drove off with it. It works the other way round too. Meet in a busy public place or a police exchange zone, and don’t hand over money or the console through a car window.
• Deposits and shipping. A seller who wants an e-transfer to hold the console, or who is out of town and will ship it, is following the script in the deposit scam. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre lists the same patterns under merchandise fraud.
• Too cheap. A PS5 Pro at half the going rate is bait. Compare it with sold prices first.

Retro consoles and games

Older consoles and cartridges have their own problems. Reproduction cartridges (“repros”) are common for popular games, especially Pokémon titles on the Game Boy family. Check that the label print is sharp, the cartridge shell matches the originals, and the game saves properly. If the seller lets you, look at the board inside: originals carry Nintendo’s markings. A listing that says “repro”, “reproduction” or “custom” is being honest; one that is cheap and vague may not be.

For prices, PriceCharting tracks retro games, consoles and accessories from completed sales, separately for loose, complete-in-box and new copies. It shows US dollars by default; switch the currency to Canadian dollars at the top of the page. Test retro consoles with a game and the original controllers, and check the power supply is the right one for the region.

How to judge a fair price

Start with three numbers:

1. Sold prices. Search eBay sold listings for the exact model (“PS5 Slim disc”, “Switch OLED”), on ebay.ca for Canadian prices. Ignore asking prices.
2. New and refurbished. Check the current retail price and any manufacturer-refurbished stock at Canadian retailers. A used console should sit clearly below both, because it has no warranty.
3. Local listings. Search both Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji for the same model and note where most prices sit. How to tell if a price is fair shows how.

Bundles need unpacking. Two controllers, a charging dock and three games add real value, but digital games tied to the seller’s account add nothing once their account is removed. Price the console alone, then add the extras at their used value.

Timing helps too. Prices often soften after a new model launches and after the holidays, when gifted consoles replace older ones. How to negotiate on Marketplace covers making an offer.

Searches, block words and alerts

Search for the exact model, and run a few versions because sellers name things differently:

• PS5: “ps5 slim”, “ps5 digital”, “ps5 disc”, “ps5 pro”, “playstation 5”
• Xbox: “series x”, “series s”, “xbox series”
• Nintendo: “switch oled”, “switch 2”, “switch lite”, “nintendo switch”
• Bundles: “ps5 bundle”, “switch with games”

Words worth blocking: “box only”, “empty box”, “for parts”, “not working”, “controller only”, “WTB” and “trade”, plus “modded” and “jailbroken” unless that is what you want. On Facebook, set Delivery method to Local pickup so shipped listings, which carry the most risk, drop out. Then set alerts for one model at a time: Facebook’s saved-search notifications on your phone, or Kijiji’s search alerts.

With Sift on a computer

Sift doesn’t have a hunt kit for consoles, so it works here with its general tools. On a computer, in Chrome, Edge or Brave, it can:

• hide “for parts”, “not working” and broken listings with the Broken or for parts pack, and WTB and ISO posts with the Wanted posts pack;
• hide words you add yourself, such as “box only” or “empty box”, and peek at what it hid;
• open Sold on eBay, Google Shopping and Search by image (Google Lens on the listing photo, which catches stock photos) from any listing;
• give a fair-price read when your search is a single model, such as “ps5 slim”, so the page compares like with like;
• mark price drops and reposted listings, and show Check this chips on listings that ask for a deposit or e-transfer first, want to move to WhatsApp or text, or offer to ship something you would normally pick up;
• Watch this search for one model and notify you of new listings as often as every 15 minutes on Kijiji (no faster than every 30 on Facebook), after your filters have run.

Sift doesn’t test consoles, check bans or verify serial numbers. That part happens at the meetup, with the checklist above. If you are also shopping for a PC, read buying a used GPU or gaming PC.

PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch are trademarks of their owners. Sift is independent and not affiliated with Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo.