Sony has a new answer for PS5 Pro scalpers in Japan: make players earn the right to buy. The company has opened purchase applications for the PlayStation 5 Pro through its Japanese online store — and the entry requirement is 60 hours of PlayStation playtime on your account.
How the Lottery Works
As Eurogamer reports, the system is designed for when demand for new consoles outstrips the limited supply. To apply, you need a Sony account registered in Japan and more than 60 hours of playtime on that account over the past two years — TechPowerUp notes the tracked window runs from September 27, 2024 to September 27, 2026, a hard cutoff that prevents anyone from artificially padding their hours just to qualify.
Applications are open from today until October 7. If applications exceed the available stock, a lottery is held, with winners notified on October 26. Winners then have about a week — until November 2 — to actually buy the console at ¥137,980 (around $876 / £662), or their spot is thrown back into the pool for another drawing later this year.
Why: DRAM Shortage Meets GTA 6
The lottery exists because supply has been a continuous problem for Sony this generation, and the pressure is about to get worse. The global DRAM shortage — driven by the AI datacenter boom — has caused extreme price rises and stock shrinkage for gaming hardware, and TechPowerUp reports Sony has worked with Samsung, SK hynix and Micron to secure memory supply for the PlayStation 5. The reason is no mystery: Grand Theft Auto VI launches this November and is expected to trigger a whole ecosystem of console purchases. Gamers preparing for Rockstar’s biggest release are already flocking to retailers, and Sony wants its limited stock to reach actual players, not resellers.
A Scratch Card for a Console
It is, admittedly, one of the strangest ways to purchase a console — TechPowerUp calls it exactly that, while noting the playtime filter at least lets genuinely passionate gamers buy at MSRP instead of feeding scalpers. Eurogamer’s writer admits mixed feelings: with supply shortages ongoing, buying a new console right now simply “sucks” — but, as they put it, “gosh, I love a good lottery system,” pointing to Final Fantasy 14’s housing lottery as proof the format can take the stress out of fights over a limited supply. If you are weighing whether the Pro is worth it at all, our PS5 Pro review is the place to start — and if you are in Japan with 60 hours on the clock, you have until October 7 to roll the dice.