Sony-led program offers PS5 rentals starting at $13.50 a month in the UK across 12, 24, or 36-month leases — console has to be returned at the end of the contract

Play Has No Limits — except if you're trying to buy a console. Amidst the dire wastelands of the tech industry, Sony has decided that enjoying its PlayStation 5 console should remain its top priority. Even if you can't pay for one outright, the company will now lease it to you every month with recurring payments, thanks to a local collaboration with Raylo in the United Kingdom called "Flex."

Raylo is a "tech subscription service" in the UK that allows customers to lease all sorts of stuff, including TVs, phones, appliances, and consoles. PS5s were already available on Raylo's site, but this new program, in partnership with PlayStation Direct, makes the process even more accessible. In fact, even this offer has been active since at least March 2025, so the company is simply readvertising here.

Instead of buying from third-party vendors or retailers like Amazon, you can buy PlayStation hardware "directly" from Sony via its online store. Every item sold here is authentic and official, adding another layer of legitimacy to the purchase. Raylo's leasing partnership is limited to PlayStation UK.

Speaking of which, the offer includes four options: 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, and an indefinite rolling plan. The longest lease is the cheapest, starting from £9.95 per month ($13.55) for the base PS5 Slim across 36 months. The most expensive plan is the flexible one, where you pay a flat £19.50 per month ($26.56) for the same PS5 Slim and £37.49 per month ($51.06) for the 2 TB PS5 Pro. Prices vary across hardware.

You can choose from a range of devices, including the PS5 Pro, as well as newer additions such as PSVR2 and the PlayStation Portal. The DualSense Edge controller, for instance, can be leased for as little as £6.50 ($8.85) per month for 36 months. Regardless of whatever item or plan you choose, at the end of the contract, you have to return the console or "upgrade for free."

That means this is not a financing situation; you're not paying installments as part of a payment plan to own the console at the end. You're simply renting it for the time being, but Raylo says you can contact them to discuss buyouts as well. On the other hand, Microsoft offers a similar leasing solution through "Xbox All Access," but that option lets you keep the console after you've fully paid it off.

Now, some quick math shows that renting a PS5 Slim over 36 months at £9.95 per month would total £358.2 ($487.89) — that's not too far from the console's upfront cost, and it's been on sale for less before. Perhaps short-term renting is the best use for this service: you can simply get the console for a month when a new exclusive comes out, play it, then return it as part of the 20 quid rolling plan.

Of course, then there's the doom and gloom of it all. Everything is a subscription service nowadays; you will own nothing,g and you will be happy. Beyond the obvious long-term disadvantages of this service, it's not a bad deal entirely. Even the maximum contract length of 3 years makes sense if you plan to upgrade to the next-gen PS6 at the end. Raylo says you can also keep paying after the lease ends if you don't want to return or upgrade the console.

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