Sony Japan tries an anti-scalper lottery system for PS5 Pro orders, locks systems behind a 60-hour playtime requirement — strict lottery system blocks scalpers and tourists in Japan, requires a domestic account to buy

News
By
Published

PS5 Pro has been around nearly two years, and has been the victim of AI-inflation, but the impending release of GTA 6 has spurred demand.

Sony PlayStation 5 Pro
(Image credit: Sony PlayStation)

In the face of strong demand and device shortages, Sony has decided to filter PlayStation 5 Pro purchasers in Japan using a lottery system. We’ve seen such anti-scalper techniques used by the makers of the most treasured tech before, but the Sony Store in Japan is also insisting (machine translation) that those joining the queue for PS5 Pro purchase tickets possess a Japanese PSN account. Furthermore, participants must have logged at least 60 hours of gaming time on a PS4 or PS5 over the last two years.

Latest Videos FromTom's Hardware
Mark Tyson
Mark Tyson
News Editor

Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

23 Comments Comment from the forums
  • LordVile
    They should just require an account and have it locked to that account for 6 months
    Reply
  • Dementoss
    I understand and support the reasons for doing this but, it also means that anyone looking to buy one as their first Playstation, will be excluded.
    Reply
  • teeejay94
    Here's a newsflash Sony scalpers play video games too
    Reply
  • bigdragon
    Tom's Hardware said:
    Furthermore, participants must have logged at least 60 hours of gaming time on a PS4 or PS5 over the last two years.
    I do like when companies require gaming time in order to get your hands on new hardware. I think this makes it more likely that the buyer will use the system as intended rather than try to flip it for profit. However, I have to wonder how many people would be upgrading from a PS5 to a PS5 Pro. There doesn't appear to be a significant enough advantage to me given the high price. I could see someone upgrading from a PS4 to a PS5 Pro though.
    Reply
  • TerryLaze
    teeejay94 said:
    Here's a newsflash Sony scalpers play video games too
    Yeah but then they will get one console not a dozen, which is the whole point.
    Unless a scalper sets up a dozen old consoles with a dozen different accounts just to buy ps5 pros.
    bigdragon said:
    I could see someone upgrading from a PS4 to a PS5 Pro though.
    Isn't it too close to the (potential) release of the ps6 by now?!
    Reply
  • Vicecrow
    Ps6 by now Will launch with a big price tag...
    They Will postpone It 2029 lol.
    I have a PS3 never cared about these new consoles, everything Goes to PC in today games
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    Furthermore, participants must have logged at least 60 hours of gaming time on a PS4 or PS5 over the last two years.

    I get the anti scalper thing.

    But this means I could not buy one as a present for a relative.
    Reply
  • ohio_buckeye
    If I’m paying hundreds for a new system I should be able to play it as much as I want. Hey Sony here’s an outlandish idea!!!! Do like Microcenter in the USA. When someone buys from you or your authorized retailers, limit it to 1 per household and keep a record of who purchases them. But wait that would be too simple right?
    Reply
  • bit_user
    teeejay94 said:
    Here's a newsflash Sony scalpers play video games too
    Yeah, but I'm sure their order system limits customers to one PS5 Pro per PSN account. Professional scalpers probably need to be buying tens or hundreds of systems. Yeah, the plan isn't fool-proof, but it doesn't need to be. It just needs to work well enough.

    I could hardly believe it, when PS5 Pro went on sale for $700 in the US, last October/November. That seemed the obvious time to buy, given what was inevitably going to happen with pricing/availability.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    TerryLaze said:
    Isn't it too close to the (potential) release of the ps6 by now?!
    Apparently not, or else they wouldn't be having these problems.

    Also, PS6 is certainly going to be delayed.
    Reply