PS3, Xbox 360 News: Alienware Paying $200 for Hardware Before PS4, Xbox One Release Date

With the dawn of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One rapidly approaching, gamers are debating the best ways to sell or get rid of their older consoles ahead of the November launch dates of their replacements. Several retailers are offering trade-in credit for the consoles, but PC manufacturer Alienware is offering a unique trade-in offer for these older machines.

Alienware is offering gamers up to $200 towards one of its gaming PCs or laptops in exchange for a home console. The company is currently accepting working PlayStation 3s, slim units of the Xbox 360, and several different models of PCs or laptops, and all these trade-ins will give players $200 towards some of the top-of-the-line computer hardware designed specifically with gaming in mind.

However, the trade-in system for this program has some complicated steps to follow, so gamers can't just hand in their console and get their cash discount on Alienware products. To take advantage of the deal, users must buy an Alienware computer and save their receipt. Then, players must sign into the Alienware Trade website with the proof-of-purchase information along with their banking information. From there, users must answer several questions about the hardware they are trying to trade in. Finally, the user sends in their hardware to Alienware (with free shipping) and once the hardware's quality is verified the money will show up in a user's bank account within 40 days.

This is a big boost to players who are looking to get an upgraded PC rather than having to buy a new console. While buying a new PC or laptop may be pricier than buying a new console, it allows users a larger variety of options for activities such as web browsing. In addition, users can further upgrade their PC to take advantage of the new hardware available in the future to deliver an even more polished video game experience.

Futhermore, PC gamers can draw from a wider variety of games than console gamers. This is especially true with the next-gen consoles, which will only have a few dozen games available at launch. PC users will be able to draw from blockbuster releases such as Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn and Titanfall as well as a huge amount of downloadable hits found on Steam or Origin. These factors may motivate gamers to trade in their consoles to Alienware rather than put them towards a next-gen home console.