One doesn’t simply buy a PlayStation 5 Pro anymore. In Japan, buying one requires more than just money. Sony Interactive Entertainment has opened a new application system for PS5 Pro purchases through the Japanese Sony Store, with some unusually strict requirements designed to make sure the consoles end up with actual PlayStation players.
To even qualify, buyers need a Sony account registered in Japan and must have logged at least 60 hours of gameplay across a PS4, PS5, or both between September 27, 2024 and September 27, 2026. That same Sony account also needs to be linked to a My Sony ID. After all of this is done, you finally earn the ability to… apply to buy one.
Gaming for 60 hours only gets you into the lottery
Sony is accepting applications until October 7 at 11:59 pm Japan time. If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the consoles Sony has available, the company will select buyers through a lottery. Results will begin going out around October 26, with winners given until November 2 to complete their purchase.
And purchase is very much the operative word here. Winning doesn’t get you a free console. The PS5 Pro costs 137,980 yen in Japan. Applications are limited to Japanese residents, each Sony account can apply for only one console, and Sony explicitly warns against applications made for resale. Orders can also be invalidated if Sony determines that a purchase is clearly intended for scalping. If winning applicants fail to complete their purchase, Sony says unused stock can be offered through another lottery to people who missed out the first time.
The anti-scalper test
Having to jump through the extra hoops is a bit frustrating. But considering how hard it has become to find the more powerful PS5 variant, Sony may have made the right decision. At the moment, it is hard to buy a PS5 Pro from major retailers, while component constraints are affecting overall supply. This makes a system tied to two years of actual PlayStation activity an interesting way of keeping freshly created reseller accounts away from limited stock.
Sony has used lotteries for limited PlayStation hardware before, including its 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro, but the 60-hour play requirement makes it harder for scalpers to game the system. Before Sony lets you hand over the money for its most expensive PlayStation, it wants proof that you’re actually a fan.
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