Your experience with used game systems?

[danzibr]

I was thinking of buying a used Wii U from ebay and was wondering what experienced people had with buying used game systems.

Personally, I got a used fat PS3 shortly after they came out. It lasted me a couple years then crapped out, but I think that was a problem with the PS3 rather than it being used. Then I bought a PS3 as-is which didn't work so I returned it.

Anyone bought a used game system? How'd it work out?

[Mutazoia]

I was thinking of buying a used Wii U from ebay and was wondering what experienced people had with buying used game systems.

Personally, I got a used fat PS3 shortly after they came out. It lasted me a couple years then crapped out, but I think that was a problem with the PS3 rather than it being used. Then I bought a PS3 as-is which didn't work so I returned it.

Anyone bought a used game system? How'd it work out?

I have bought 1 Xbox 360 and two Wii's from Pawn shops. The 360 lasted close to 7 years before crapping out. The Wii's I bought as Xmas presents for my brothers. One was stolen 2 years later so not sure about that one but the other one is still going 6 years later.

Ultimately it's going to boil down to how the system was treated by it's previous owner. Personally I'd be weary of buying a used system off of Ebay where you can't check it out first. Pawn Shops are a better way to go. They have to work before the shop will even take them, and you get to test it before you leave the shop. You also have little hassle returning a faild system to a pawn shop and get no guarantees with Ebay purchases. (plus you can haggle a little with the pawn shops)

[Rosstin]

You're taking a risk. You may get lucky, you may not.

Modern systems have a host of potential problems, some of which you might see coming in time to sell it before it stops working.

My advice is to make sure that either the price is cheap enough that if it craps out it's no big deal, or to buy from a store that gives you some kind of warranty.

It depends a lot on how long you want the system to last. Are you buying it to play a couple games you've always wanted to, and you only need it to last about a year? Buy used and it's no big deal if it dies. Are you going to use the system heavily to play through Skyrim or do multiplayer gaming in a frat house? Buy a new system.

EDIT: Oh, you're buying a Wii U. I would say go ahead, it's doubtful that most Wii Us are so heavily used that they'll be on their last legs. However if you can get some kind of warranty that's still not a bad idea.

[Wookieetank]

I bought a used and refurbished PSOne way back when and it still worked when I upgraded to a PS2 years later.

[danzibr]

Alright, bought a "Like New" Wii U off of Amazon. Let's see how that goes.

[Wookieetank]

Alright, bought a "Like New" Wii U off of Amazon. Let's see how that goes.

Good Luck! :smallsmile:

[KillingAScarab]

I think a used Wii U should probably be fine, hardware-wise, though I'm not familiar with the online setup for that console. I would be a bit more wary of disc-based consoles than cartridge-based, but I purchased both a PlayStation (predating the PSOne model) and a PlayStation 2 (predating the slim model) through eBay quite some time ago. From what I could tell by their model numbers, both were several years old by the time I got them. They both still work for me today, though the PlayStation had some disc reading issues the last time I tried it. Games were still loading and playing, but I had some music skipping with the version of Final Fantasy IV included in Final Fantasy Chronicles.

I just went into a GameStop recently and noticed that at the end of this month they will no longer be purchasing used PlayStation 2 consoles. Crazy to think that the thing still has new games releasing this year, over a full decade after it was launched and production of new systems didn't stop until January (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/jan/04/playstation-2-manufacture-ends-years?INTCMP=SRCH). PS2s are going to be floating around used for a long, long time.

[Rosstin]

I suspect that it will be fine, people's reasons for getting rid of their Wii Us are more likely to be "not enough good games" than "it broke."

(Not bashing Wii U, I'm a huge Nintendo fan... just being realistic.)

[Studoku]

I bought a preowned 360 a few months ago. It Red Ringed of Death two days later and Gamestation gave me an Elite to replace it (at no extra cost since it was all they had in stock). I haven't had any issues with it.

That's buying from a major retailer of course.

[Rosstin]

I bought a preowned 360 a few months ago. It Red Ringed of Death two days later and Gamestation gave me an Elite to replace it (at no extra cost since it was all they had in stock). I haven't had any issues with it.

That's buying from a major retailer of course.

This is EXACTLY the reason I wouldn't buy an XBOX, PS3, 360, or PS2 from any non-guaranteed source. Extremely likely to happen with those systems, that see extremely heavy play.

Smart on you, that you bought from a place that could replace it.

[danzibr]

Got it in the mail today. So far works perfectly!

[huttj509]

Got it in the mail today. So far works perfectly!

Hope it sustains.

It's the sort of thing that's often fine, but a big ol' Caveat Emptor sign in flashing neon.

[KillingAScarab]

Glad to read it, danzibar.


I bought a preowned 360 a few months ago. It Red Ringed of Death two days later and Gamestation gave me an Elite to replace it (at no extra cost since it was all they had in stock). I haven't had any issues with it.

That's buying from a major retailer of course.Yeah, a video game console which had so many design problems until Valhalla (http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/xbox-360-defects-an-inside-history-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/), and some even after that... I think you will see a much larger number of sellers (brick and mortar and online) unloading poor hardware onto the unsuspecting. Retailers should have a policy for testing used consoles which you should ask about, if they don't go as far as letting you try in the store before you buy. At least it isn't the Atari Jaguar.

Then there are compatibility issues to be aware of with the newer consoles. For the XBox 360, there was a change in how game discs are authored to now store data in areas which were garbage before, to squeeze more functionality out of the decision to use DVDs. I know Microsoft tried to get people to send in incompatible disc drives/consoles for replacement, but you never know. The PlayStation 3 has something a little similar, with the removal of the Emotion Engine hardware used to play PlayStation 2 games. This limited the backward compatibility further in newer models, so you're better off finding a PS2 if that was a major feature to you.

[tonberrian]

I've bought two used game systems - a PSP 1000 from Ebay back just before the psp 3000 was a thing, and a ps2 from gamestop before that. So far neither have crapped out.

[Studoku]

Yeah, a video game console which had so many design problems until Valhalla (http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/xbox-360-defects-an-inside-history-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/), and some even after that... I think you will see a much larger number of sellers (brick and mortar and online) unloading poor hardware onto the unsuspecting. Retailers should have a policy for testing used consoles which you should ask about, if they don't go as far as letting you try in the store before you buy. At least it isn't the Atari Jaguar.
Gamestation included their own warranty (can't remember if it was 6 or 12 months) with it so I assume they'd tested it. I wouldn't call it unloading poor hardware on the unsuspecting when they're the ones who lost out because of it.