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When it comes to buying a games console, particularly if you’re buying it as a gift and aren’t particularly gaming-savvy yourself, it can be a bit of a minefield. Consoles within the same ‘family’ now come with different models, different hard drive capacities, different add ons - it’s all a bit confusing if you’re not regularly keeping up to date with the latest in gaming news.
One type of console that can be particularly confusing to buy is a ‘refurbished’ or ‘reconditioned’ console. These words coverage a wide range of definitions, and particularly over the internet it can be hard to tell exactly what you’re buying. This guide aims to dispel some of the myths around refurbished consoles and help you make the right buying decision.
Though the terms ‘refurbished’ and ‘reconditioned’ are used interchangeably by different retailers, they do technically mean different things. If you find a retailer listing both reconditioned and refurbished consoles, in all likelihood they mean the following:
These consoles will not be in mint condition, but will be in virtually perfect working order. Reconditioned consoles are sometimes those that have been used in retail display units, have been returned unopened or otherwise are not able to sold as new despite still being almost unused. Reconditioned can also define consoles that have been used, but have been rigorously tested, cleaned and verified as working like new, either by the retailer or the console manufacturer. Reconditioned consoles often come with a fresh warranty.
Refurbished has a looser definition, and is generally a step up from second-hand (although they are sometimes referred to as ‘second-hand’ or ‘pre-owned’). A refurbished console is likely one that has been used and has been sold back to the retailer by a customer. It will likely have undergone some basic checks to ensure it’s working, but may not have been checked or repaired as thoroughly as a reconditioned unit. Any warranty it comes with will probably be relatively short, if it comes with one at all.
You don't just need to head straight to Ebay for a cheap games consoles. There's now several major online retailers that now offer refurbished, reconditioned and preowned games consoles. We've found preowned console deals from Ebay, GAME and MusicMagpie. And to save you time and effort, we've rounded up the very best deals currently in stock from each and every one of them. All you need to do is click the links below to compare deals for the games console you're considering buying 2nd hand.
Compare cheap refurbished PS4 consoles
Compare cheap refurbished Xbox One consoles
Compare cheap refurbished Nintendo Switch consoles
If you want to check out today's cheapest deals on brand new consoles, just head to our homepage!
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