- Amid the massive PS5 Pro shortage in Japan, Sony is using an application system to determine which gamers qualify to buy the console.
- One requirement states that users with a Japan account must have logged at least 60 hours of gameplay on PS4 or PS5 over the past two years.
- If applications exceed the available PS5 Pro stock in Japan, Sony will use a lottery system to select buyers randomly after October 7, 2026.
Sony is making Japanese gamers prove their PlayStation loyalty for a shot at buying a PS5 Pro, all because of the console’s shortage in the region. With Sony expecting PS5 shortages to last into 2027, partly fueled by GTA 6 demand, the company has found a rather clever solution: signing up potential customers who meet certain PlayStation requirements.
According to the PlayStation Japan website, users should have a Japan-registered Sony account with at least 60 hours of gameplay on either a PS4 or PS5 between September 27, 2024, and September 27, 2026, to apply for purchase. Furthermore, Japanese applicants must use the same Sony account for the application, My Sony ID, and sign-in ID.
Sony will keep the PS5 Pro applications in Japan open until October 7. If applications exceed current stock, the company will randomly pick buyers in a lottery system. So, you’d better rack up some playtime on your PS4 or PS5 before applying to purchase the console.
Sony has deployed this sudden move to combat scalpers in Japan selling the PS5 Pro at ridiculously high prices. To put things into perspective, some players across the world are paying absurd prices for the PS5 Pro to play GTA 6, with prices reaching as high as $1,000–$1,300.
So, when you look at the bigger picture, it makes sense why Sony is using this application system for users to purchase the PS5 Pro. A scalper likely won’t have 60 hours of gameplay because they spend their time scalping and scamming.
However, genuine PlayStation players in Japan who want to upgrade to a PS5 Pro should already meet all the requirements, which helps keep scalpers out and gives them a shot at securing one. But if applications exceed stock, Japanese users should start praying to the PlayStation gods for a chance to earn the upgrade via lottery.
Even with Sony making questionable decisions like killing PlayStation discs starting in 2028, PS5 Pro faces a massive shortage in Japan, and Japanese players are lining up to get their hands on one.
