GameStop isn't waiting for new PS4 models with beefier hard drives

GameStop is selling a "Supercharged" refurbished PlayStation 4 with a 2 TB hard drive, doubling the amount of storage that Sony provides in its beefiest new console and providing more space for those who like to purchase their games through the PlayStation Store.

As spotted by a NeoGAF user, GameStop's customized Playstation 4 Supercharged 2 TB System retails for $479.99. A new 500 GB PS4 bundled with Batman: Arkham Knight costs $399.99. A refurbished 500 GB PS4 without a game costs $359.99. And GameStop will mail all of these consoles.

Hard drive size is particularly important this console generation because of digital distribution's ascendency and games' demand for more space. PlayStation Plus subscribers get downloadable games every month. Sony alluded to that segment's profitability in a recent financial disclosure, citing a "significant increase in network services revenue" as part of the Game & Network Services division's success.

The PS4 launched in November 2013 with a single 500 GB option, but the hard drive has always been user replaceable. Sony even provides directions through the PlayStation Knowledge Center. Amazon's listings for 2.5-inch hard drives coalesce around $80, with some more and some less expensive options available.

Sony recently unveiled the PlayStation 4 Ultimate Player 1TB Edition on the European PlayStation Blog and released it last month. That day, a PlayStation representative told Polygon that it had "no plans to announce at this time" for a North American release. An FCC filing from earlier in June shows that Sony submitted a 1 TB PS4 for testing with the agency.

Sony's most direct competitor, Microsoft, also installs a 500 GB hard drive with the standard Xbox One system. However, special edition consoles like those for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and the upcoming Madden NFL 16 bundle, include a 1 TB hard drive.