PS5 Pro shortage hits Japan as Sony limits console purchases to active Playstation users before GTA 6

Anticipation of the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 This could lead to the thing some feared the most: console shortages. As people who haven’t yet upgraded to current-gen hardware rush to buy new consoles ahead of the game’s November launch, we’re starting to see supply chains, already strained by the AI ​​race, stretched to the breaking point. The console struggling the most to meet demand is the PS5 Pro, forcing Sony Japan to implement purchasing restrictions and a lottery system to fairly distribute the new consoles in the country where the gaming giant is headquartered.

This new system, limited to purchases made directly through the Sony Store, requires players to use a Sony account with at least 60 hours of confirmed play time on PS4 or PS5 hardware from September 27, 2024 to September 27, 2026. Players meeting these requirements can then apply to purchase hardware up to one per customer until October 7, with results confirmed by October 26 for delivery in the first half of November, ensuring that the consoles arrive in time to play the new one. RGT game.

Lottery systems like this are not new in Japan. The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 placed similar demands on gamers, with pre-order lotteries held in the months leading up to and just after the console’s launch. What’s notable is that PlayStation console sales in Japan have generally lagged far behind Nintendo’s in recent years due to the higher cost of PlayStation hardware, even after the company introduced a special, region-locked, lower-priced SKU limited to the Japanese market in order to encourage adoption.

The upcoming launch of RGT now appears to have triggered a surge in demand, at least for the PS5 Pro. Standard PS5 models remain in stock. The lottery system is arguably a fairer method of distributing shares than a free system would be, prioritizing active players on the platform rather than simply selling to anyone lucky enough to be first in an online queue.

Lottery implementation suggests a resurgence in demand fueled by RGT this could trickle down to the rest of the product line to help revitalize the console’s sales in the country. Gamers want to play the best version of the game and Sony has released optimizations exclusive to the PS5 Pro. It also reminds us that more markets should borrow the lottery model to deal with shortages of gaming hardware and accessories in the future.