There’s never been a better time to trade in your old games consoles. The original Xbox is almost a collectible item now and Xbox 360’s have reached the point in their life cycle where a lot of parents are picking them up pre-owned as gifts for younger children, while adults and teens are picking up a second console. Demand for pre-owned consoles is high and if you trade yours in you have lots of options for what to do with the money.
You may be thinking ‘I’m not ready to sell my old Xbox’, but when you realise how much you can get for it and what you could do with the money, you’ll soon realise that it’s a great idea. If you trade your console in for in-store credit, you could use that to pick up a Wii U, or save it to use against a PlayStation 4 or next-generation Xbox later in the year. Alternatively, you could take the cash and invest in an upgrade for your PC, or anything else you fancy. Considering the number of games coming out this year, you’ll win whatever platform you choose.
Understanding Trade-In Values
There are lots of different Xbox 360s on the market and how much you get for your trade-in will depend on the version you have. The most basic version, the Xbox 360 arcade, will not net you a high trade-in value because it lacks a hard drive, HDMI ports and other features. You’ll get more money if you trade in an Elite model and even more if you’re also able to trade in your Kinect sensor, extra controllers and other goodies.
If you want to trade in games with your console, inspect them carefully beforehand. This is especially important if you live in a multi-gamer household and are planning on keeping some games. Certain titles, such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, come in multiple forms and some versions are classed as bundle titles, which means that you won’t be able to trade them in unless you also trade in the guitar or drum kit that came with them. Some stores will accept bundle titles, but they don’t pay very much at all for them. If you want to keep your guitars and other peripherals, you’ll be best off keeping the games that came with them too.
Before trading in your console, it’s a good idea to delete your profile from the drive. In theory, most stores will do this anyway when they test the console, but doing it yourself will give you peace of mind. In addition, you should pack up all the cables that came with the console, including component AV cables and HDMI cables. The more complete your package is, the more money you will get for your trade-in.
My name is Idania Silvia. I am a professional gamer and tech blogger. Making the decision to sell my old Xbox was one of the best things I’ve done this year. Like many other gamers, I can’t wait for the next generation to start.