
Don't forget to use our handy filtering system to help find your ideal PS4 Refurbished deal.
A refurbished PS4 is often the best choice for people looking to remove what is typically the biggest barrier of entry to purchasing a games console: price. That’s why we at Console Deals pull in and compare prices, not just for new PS4 units off the shelf, but refurbished, pre-owned and second hand ones too. As of November 2018, the PS4 has sold a staggering 88 million units worldwide since its launch. A fair few of those will have been traded in, refurbished and then ready to be sold back to consumers – always for just a fraction of the PS4’s standard RRP.
The PS4 represents one of the most vibrant video game eco-systems currently out there. Not only does it allow you to enjoy games in the traditional sense, but apps like YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime serve to satisfy all your content needs, PSN opens up the realm of multiplayer, and the PSVR headset is one of the easiest ways to experience virtual reality. Picking up a preowned PS4 console that’s been refurbished is an affordable way to enjoy all of PS4s many facets, opening up a world of what this generation of consoles has to offer.
The PS4 has some of the best exclusive games you can play in Detroit: Become Human, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man and countless others. All of which look incredible when played at 1080p resolution at a frame rate of 60 fps, fully immersing you into the high-fidelity graphical experience each seek to offer. Such a stellar game library is made possible thanks to PlayStation’s highly talented suite of developers, with studios like Naughty Dog, Sony Santa Monica and Guerilla Games often considered some of the best interactive storytellers around.
The Dualshock 4 is often considered by many to be the most comfortable controller to use compared to other first-party gamepads on the market. This is because the bigwigs over at Sony’s R&D have had four consoles in which to improve the design, making this latest iteration the most ergonomic yet. Any good refurbished PS4 purchase will come with a Dualshock 4 packaged in, connecting wireless to your console for restriction-free play with a charge that can last up to eight hours.
There are three types of PlayStation 4 you’re likely to find when doing your research and looking for a refurbished model. There’s the original launch PS4 model released on November 2013, the PS4 Slim released on September 2016 and finally the higher-end PS4 Pro that launched in November that same year. The PS4 Slim is the model that replaced the original ‘fat’ PS4 since April 2017, but if you’re picking one a preowned PS4, it’s worth nailing down which is the best option for you.
If you want the best PS4 console there is, a PS4 Pro should be your number one choice. It offers much better performance than the PS4 Slim and isn’t that much more expensive if you’re buying a refurbished model. We’ve found second hand PS4 Pro consoles which have been refurbished to very good standards, with prices typically £100 cheaper than brand new PS4 Pro consoles.
If you’re on a tight budget and want to buy the cheapest PS4 console there is, a refurbished PS4 Slim is the ideal buy. We’ve spotted plenty of 500GB and 1TB PS4 Slim’s that have been refurbished, and all are available to buy from leading second hand goods retailers, like MusicMagpie and Ebay. Even Argos stock the occasional refurbished PS4 Slim, and most are in very good condition.
When a second hand PS4 arrives to the store for trade-in, the relevant retailer will complete its own bespoke series of checks and refurbishment techniques. There are a few standard protocols most can take, however, assuring that the preowned PS4 is fit for resale and can be brought up to as close to new as is possible. Chief amongst these checks will be tests made to the external ports – such as the power supply and HDMI input – to ensure that they still work and haven’t suffered from any type of liquid damage.
Refurbished PS4 consoles differ from those that have been “reconditioned” in that the former’s definition tends to be a lot more flexible. It’s effectively a catch-all term for “pre-owned” or “second-hand”, and as such requires retailers to spend a bit more time ensuring that it can be sold on without risk of any future issues later down the line. Any refurbished PS4 will be restored to its factory settings before listed for sale, albeit with the latest firmware updates already installed.
In terms of where you can pick up a cheap refurbished PS4, there are a couple of online retailers that keep plenty in stock. It’s worth saying that we at Consoles Deals make a point of listing the quality of each refurbished PS4 in question being compared. This can range from “Fair”, “Good”, “Very Good”, all the way up to “Manufacturer Refurbished” – all of which will have an impact on price. Every refurbished PS4 we compare will be functional but could vary in terms of the number of bumps, scratches and knocks that affects how the console looks cosmetically. Please note we also feature preowned PS4 consoles in our comparison tables.
Game’s selection of refurbished PS4 units is likely pretty vast regardless of whether you visit physically in a store or look upon its online offerings. All its consoles go through an exhaustive refurbishment process and come with a 12-month guarantee as standard, assuring players are covered against any potential faults. If buying through the Game website the PS4 might come through a third-party seller, whereas if you visit Game in-store it’s always guaranteed that the console is handled by the staff directly.
Amazon’s range of refurbished, second-hand and preowned products fall under the “Amazon Renewed” banner, where most are sold directly by Amazon itself or at least an Amazon-certified retailer. Amazon lists refurbished PS4s using its own grading system, which we at Console Deals pull in and make you aware of. Any purchased through Amazon Renewed comes with the console, controller, all the necessary cables and that all-important 12-month guarantee.
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