Tell us about your experiences buying used consoles

[gorfias]

Tell us about your experiences buying used consoles.
I got a used Sega Genesis with credit from my old NES stuff at an individual shop (Not a Gamestop or other chain). The console was broken though, in hind sight, I should have bought a new RF connector. That may have been it's only problem. My 1st 2 fat PS2 systems I got used on Ebay. I lucked out. They worked. I later traded up to PS2 slims (new). I buy from friends: Xbox, Gamecube, Dream Cast, PS4 Pro were all great systems I got from friends at great prices with lots of extras (controllers, games included). Got a used Gamecube (Platinum) from Gamestop. It would work but then die after about 10 min. of use. With something like that, how can Gamestop properly test a thing? Nowadays, I'd think it even harder to test a console before reselling it.
Your experiences?

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I bought a used PlayStation back in the day and never had a problem with it. I only ever had a problem with a used copy of Dead Space 2 on PS3 - game would crash if I played for too long ("too long" being any possible amount of time). I only managed to beat it by manually savescumming, essentially. Added an extra layer of tension whenever I had just done away with a major part of the game and didn't know if I could make it back in time to save, or how far up ahead was the next save point.

 

[BrawlMan]

I bought a used, referbished PS2 Slim in 2011, because my big bro took his with him, and I got a refrubished X360 Slim Elite, because my OG 360 kept eating copies of DMC4. Plus, my 360 RROD twice. I did not tell the GameStop clerk that. As far as he knew, it was a working 360. I got extra trade in credit too. Both still work perfectly, but I have my PS2 stored in its box at the moment. I also bought a barely used Sega Genesis Mini and a Model Genesis 2 from Disc Replay. The latter is still wrapped up at the moment and comes with a 6 button Genesis controller.

 

[happyninja42]

hmm...trying to remember. I mean, there wasn't anything wrong with the...I think 2 times I bought one used? Everything went fine, like normal.

 

[gorfias]

I bought a used PlayStation back in the day and never had a problem with it. I only ever had a problem with a used copy of Dead Space 2 on PS3 - game would crash if I played for too long ("too long" being any possible amount of time). I only managed to beat it by manually savescumming, essentially. Added an extra layer of tension whenever I had just done away with a major part of the game and didn't know if I could make it back in time to save, or how far up ahead was the next save point.

Oh, buying used discs is another matter. I have been creamed buy games.. I pretty much have only bought used discs from Gamestop. A tiny smudge on an Xmen "diablo" style game is all it took to kill that $18 purchase. Forza 5 would not fully load on my brand new Xbox. Ghost Busters for the Will. Busted. I'm sure there are may more. Now? Digital purchases that don't work on my computer.

 

[09philj]

Bought a used 2DS from GAME. Pretty sure it was only lightly used. Still works fine, although I have no real use for it. Same goes for the used Vita I got from CEX, although I neglected to regularly update the firmware and now I can't update it anymore. Oops.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

I went to a pawn shop to buy a Wii U for cheap. The one there was really cheap cause I think the previous owners had a little brat and a dog and the system/tablet was kinda beat up. But I knew I was only gonna want it for a handful of games so I didn't mind. As long as everything worked the condition of the plastic wasn't a concern. I brought it to the game store after buying it to get some games, and my ex-coworker whom I still spoke to outside of my time working there let me plug it in to one of their TVs just to be sure it all worked perfectly before I went home. The game disc LED was on oddly enough, so I hit the eject button... It had a copy of Mario Kart 8 in there! Guess the parents forgot about the box/lost it, or didn't know where the game actually went while it was still in the system. The pawn shop guys didn't bother to check, probably just powered it on and called it good. I wasn't a Mario Kart fan, so I traded it for Wind Waker HD. Had a total blast with it that night. It still works to this day too

 

[Chimpzy]

Mine have been pretty good. Got a Gamecube from a brick & mortar specialty store. Worked fine, still does. Then an original Xbox from Ebay. Worked fine, still does, tho I did remove the clock capacitor from the main board, but that's an inherent flaw of the hardware, not the fault of the previous owner and/or seller. My N64 came from a yard sale, mostly because it was cheap and came with a bunch of the notable exclusives. Worked fine, still do. Lastly is my SNES, which I didn't actually buy but was given by a friend along with his entire game collection. Worked fine, and afaik, still does (been a long time since I hooked that up).

 

[SckizoBoy]

Bought a used PS2 from... somewhere, can't remember, worked like a charm though don't play it these days (being a few thousand miles away makes it difficult(!)).

Bought a used PS3 from a colleague, worked fine then, works fine now. Not much to report, I suppose.

 

[gorfias]

Mine have been pretty good. Got a Gamecube from a brick & mortar specialty store. Worked fine, still does. Then an original Xbox from Ebay. Worked fine, still does, tho I did remove the clock capacitor from the main board, but that's an inherent flaw of the hardware, not the fault of the previous owner and/or seller. My N64 came from a yard sale, mostly because it was cheap and came with a bunch of the notable exclusives. Worked fine, still do. Lastly is my SNES, which I didn't actually buy but was given by a friend along with his entire game collection. Worked fine, and afaik, still does (been a long time since I hooked that up).

What did the clock capacitor in the OG Xbox do that you wanted to remove it?

 

[Chimpzy]

What did the clock capacitor in the OG Xbox do that you wanted to remove it?

It's what powers and maintains the internal clock of the console. Without it, you need to enter the current date and time every time you boot. Annoying, but a minor inconvenience compared to that capacitor failing and leaking corrosive fluid all over the console's main board, which can easily fuck it up. OG Xbox has a few other problem components, but the clock capacitor is the one with the highest failure rate, particularly past 10 years old, and it's also the safest to remove/replace, since it would just leave you with no clock, as opposed to potentially bricking your console. It's generally advised to preventatively remove/replace it from for any OG Xbox, since by this point it's a matter of time before it starts leaking. It is present in all consoles except the last hardware revision from 2006-ish, which fixed this issue. You can find guides for whether the removal/replacement is warranted on your Xbox and how to do it online. Requires only the bare minimum of soldering skills.

As for why this happened, back in the late 90's early 00's there was a plague of faulty low-cost capacitors being made. This affected all computer hardware of the time, but Microsoft in particular cheaped out on some components for the OG Xbox, capacitors included. They'd later get cheap again with the early 360 models, but that bit them in the ass much harder, since those flaws didn't have a 10 year grace period.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Now that I think on it, I've never bought a used console. I've always been of the mindset that I wanted the factory warranty, plus, seeing how some people treat their used games, I can't imagine a sold console was treated with any more reverence. I was RROD about 8 times, though, so received refurbished ones, but at least they were cleared by Microsoft and not some 30-year-old at a GameStop making $10 an hour...

 

[gorfias]

It's what powers and maintains the internal clock of the console. Without it, you need to enter the current date and time every time you boot. Annoying, but a minor inconvenience compared to that capacitor failing and leaking corrosive fluid all over the console's main board, which can easily fuck it up. OG Xbox has a few other problem components, but the clock capacitor is the one with the highest failure rate, particularly past 10 years old, and it's also the safest to remove/replace, since it would just leave you with no clock, as opposed to potentially bricking your console. It's generally advised to preventatively remove/replace it from for any OG Xbox, since by this point it's a matter of time before it starts leaking. It is present in all consoles except the last hardware revision from 2006-ish, which fixed this issue. You can find guides for whether the removal/replacement is warranted on your Xbox and how to do it online. Requires only the bare minimum of soldering skills.

As for why this happened, back in the late 90's early 00's there was a plague of faulty low-cost capacitors being made. This affected all computer hardware of the time, but Microsoft in particular cheaped out on some components for the OG Xbox, capacitors included. They'd later get cheap again with the early 360 models, but that bit them in the ass much harder, since those flaws didn't have a 10 year grace period.

Kinda off topic but my organization avoided an entire line of routing switches because cheap capacitors had given them a bad reputation.
Interesting story, thanks for sharing.

 

[BrawlMan]

Now that I think on it, I've never bought a used console. I've always been of the mindset that I wanted the factory warranty, plus, seeing how some people treat their used games, I can't imagine a sold console was treated with any more reverence. I was RROD about 8 times, though, so received refurbished ones, but at least they were cleared by Microsoft and not some 30-year-old at a GameStop making $10 an hour...

I don't know what GameStop you been to, but the ones I've been to had refurbished consoles work about 95% of the time. I got a refurbished PS2 and Xbox 360 Slim that still work. I rather take a refurbished console that was used and barely cleaned up or not at all. Also, I noticed something about used games since the late PS3 and 360 era: People are actually taking care of their games for the most part. Because they realized "Oh, these games cost money. I better take care of them." A lot of used games I bought from gen 8 were either mostly clean, or at worst, had some minor fingerprints easy wipe off with microfiber cloth. There are some exceptions here and there, but people realized, they are adults and can't rely on her parents or guardians money constantly.

EDIT: Google speak messed up so I had to correct lots of grammatical errors.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I don't know what GameStop you been to, geordi once I've been to a refurbished consoles word about 95% of the time. Buy refurbished PS2 and Xbox 360 Slim still work. rceno take a refurbished console than just a concept that was used and barely cleaned up or not at all. Also I noticed something about used games since the late PS3 and 360 era; people are actually taking care of their games for the most part. Because they realized oh, these games cost money. I better ask you take care of them. A lot of use games I bought from gen 8 were either mostly clean, or at worst, had some minor fingerprints easy wipe off of microfiber cloth. There are some exceptions here and there, but people realized, they are adults and can't rely on her parents or guardians money constantly.

I'm talking lergely about the 360/PS3 era GameStop since I've not really patronized GameStop much in the past few years. It drove me nuts to see games in beat-up, generic DVD cases with a printed label, missing booklets, scratches, etc., and never felt confidant that their used consoles had to pass much more than the "does it power on" test to be sold off.

 

[Dalisclock]

I bought a refurbished "Fat" PS3(the kind with the backwards compatbility). It's mostly worked well but it's also had 3 seperate problems with deciding it's done, booting for a second only to shut right back down. The first two times I had to fixed by a repair shop. It happened last week for a third time and I'm not sure if I care to try to have it fixed again. Apparently that spefic issue(3 beeps and a blinking red light) is essentially an EOL warning for that particular type of PS3.

It's had a good run at this point and apparently there's little I can do other then either use an emuator to play my PS1/2/3 games from here on out or get a refurbished version of those consoles. OR hope PS5 will be backwards compatible.

 

[BrawlMan]

I'm talking lergely about the 360/PS3 era GameStop since I've not really patronized GameStop much in the past few years. It drove me nuts to see games in beat-up, generic DVD cases with a printed label, missing booklets, scratches, etc., and never felt confidant that their used consoles had to pass much more than the "does it power on" test to be sold off.

Yep, dark times. I swear my brother and I got lucky that GameStops in are neighborhood kept most of their used stuff in great condition. We used to have 3 of them within a mile of each other. Unfortunately one shut down in 2013. It was a Funcoland back in the 90s before the name change in 2001. Still got two more, and both are a prestige store.

 

[Silvanus]

Bought a Gamecube and a Wii second-hand. Both functioned just fine, though I didn't use either of them a huge amount so I can't say for certain.

 

[Gordon_4]

Since I’m mainly a PC gamer, second hand hardware unless it’s dirt cheap that reward outweighs risk, is very much verboten. The one exception to this are the video cards I got off my brother. A) I know how careful he is with his gear and B) I’m using it exactly the same way he is.

I’ve never bought a second hand console either, I just don’t trust them.

 

[xmbts]

Well my first experience with a used console was a PS1 my father snagged for my and my sister to use, he must have gotten it cheap since it wouldn't play any BGM files, only SFX. Gave all my PS1 titles this eerie air of silence except for your footsteps and a lot of interpretation required for the cutscenes.

For the first one I got myself it was purely by accident, we got a Wii and the clerk must have either ripped us off or made a mistake because when we got it home it had third party power and RCA cables, third party wireless motion sensor bar, and third party rechargeable controller batteries. It actually worked perfectly until my sister and her gremlins eventually got custody of it years later, at which point it just "stopped working".

Aside from that I got a used gamecube once to replace my original one that was having frequent disc read errors. and then the new one had frequent disc reading errors as well.

I'd say I have a mixed-bad general takeaway from getting used stuff, though if I see a good deal I'm willing to take a risk.