Gamestop is well known for their extensive trade-in program. When it first began, they only accepted select video games and consoles. If you look on their website today, they now pay for a variety of different electronics and not just for consoles and video games.
This leaves the question, does Gamestop buy controllers? The answer to this is yes. Gamestop does indeed buy controllers, and from a variety of consoles. If it’s a popular console or controller, then Gamestop will most likely offer you money for it.
Most controllers that Gamestop will give you money for are for the most recent console releases as well as for vintage and popular consoles like the Nintendo Gamecube. However, if you are trying to trade in a Playstation 1, you will be disappointed as they won’t give you anything. The best way to know if they will give you money for a certain controller is by checking on their website.
How Much Does Gamestop Pay For Controllers?
How much you can get for your controller highly depends on the make and model of your controller. An XBox elite series controller is going to have a lot more trade-in value than a regular wireless XBox controller.
Below we created a small chart that shows some of the most recent controllers along with their respective trade-in values. Be mindful that Gamestop will pay you more in store credit than they will in Cash value.
| Controller | Price |
| Sony DualSense Wireless Controller for PlayStation 5 | Store Credit: $15.00 Cash: $12.00 |
| Microsoft Xbox Series X Wireless Controller Carbon Black | Store Credit: $25.00 Cash: $20.00 |
| Nintendo Switch Pro Wireless Controller Black | Store Credit: $27.00 Cash: $21.60 |
| Nintendo Switch Joy-Con (R) Wireless Controller Neon Red | Store Credit: $20.00 Cash: $16.00 |
To check the current prices of gaming controllers, click here to view the selection on Amazon.
Does Gamestop Give Cash for Controllers?
Gamestop will give you cash for your controller, however you will get a slightly lower offer than if you were to accept in-store credits. The choice for cash or credit is solely up to the seller as Gamestop cannot force you to take one payment type over the other.
The reason Gamestop gives you more in store-credit is because it then encourages you to want to spend that money on products in Gamestop which returns more sales and profits to them. If you are looking get cash for your controllers then we highly suggest selling them elsewhere on a third party platform like eBay.
How Does Gamestop Trade-In Work for Controllers?
Trading in your controller to Gamestop is simple. First, you need to check to make sure Gamestop will indeed accept your controller for trade-in. This can be done one of two ways. The first way is by going on their website and manually checking the controller you have to see if they offer trade-in value for it.
The other way to check if your controller will be accepted is to call your local Gamestop and speak with a Gamestop associate. You will simply tell them the make and model and they will be able to research it for you.
For the most part, if you are trading in current generation controllers, you can expect that they will give you something for them.
Once you have decided what controllers to trade, you will then need to accept either cash or in-store credits. For the most part, both of these offers will be well below the actual market value for your controller. Gamestop does this so they will be able to resell your item at a large enough profit to make it worth it for them. This is why they are able to accept bulk trade-ins in all of their stores.
Is It Worth Selling Your Controllers to Gamestop?
We do not recommend that you sell your controllers to Gamestop unless you want them gone fast and without much effort. You will be able to get much more money if you were to sell them on a third party platform like eBay, however there is work that would have to be done.
Selling on a third party platform requires taking pictures, writing a description, setting the price and shipping, as well as shipping the item to the customer once they have purchased it.
Where Is the Best Place to Sell Controllers?
eBay
eBay is our favorite platform to use to sell your new and used items. eBay has one of the largest customer bases in the world. There are hundreds of thousands of searches performed daily on eBay which makes it great to sell your items in a timely manner. Not only will you be able to sell your items fast, but you will also be able to get top dollar.
The first step to selling on the eBay platform is creating a free account. You can upgrade to a premium account at a later time, but a free account should suffice for now. Once you have created your account, we recommend downloading the free eBay app. It is much easier to list from a smartphone as you can use your built in camera to take photos of your item.
To list your item simply take a few pictures, set the description, set the price and shipping, and post it. Once your item sells, you will then need to ship it to the buyer and collect the money.
Mercari
Mercari is another great online platform on which you can sell your controllers. Mercari first originated in Japan and slowly made their way into the US. For the most part, Mercari was welcomed by many as a new great platform to sell on. Mercari also used to be the cheapest platform for shipping items as their postage rates were cheaper than that of even eBay.
Mercari was designed as a mobile first selling platform and it definitely excels at it. Listing on the Mercari app through your smart phone couldn’t beeasier. Simply find a smiliar listing to yours, snap a few pictures, write a short description, and then set the price and shipping.
Once your item is purchased, ship it to your customer. You will be paid 3 days upon your customer receiving their item, or sooner if they rate your transaction.
Final Thoughts
Gamestop’s extensive trade-in program is great if you are looking to get rid of a bunch of stuff very fast. As long as your item is on their trade-in list they will take it as long as it is in good working condition.
At this time, Gamestop is accepting controllers of many different makes and models. The easiest way to know how much your controller is worth is by checking their website or by calling a local store and speaking with an in-store employee.
We highly recommend against trading in your electronics to Gamestop if you are looking to make as much money as possible. Gamestop will offer you a much lower price compared to selling the controllers yourself on a third party platform.