Winners & losers: Like many consumer electronics products these days, the PlayStation 5 Pro is facing severe shortages in parts of the world. In Japan, Sony is turning to a lottery system to sell its freshly manufactured consoles to genuine gamers while keeping out criminals and speculators.
Despite the significant backlash over its plan to stop manufacturing discs for new games in 2028, Sony remains massively popular in the console business. The PlayStation 5 Pro is so popular, in fact, that the company is now trying to head off scalping by limiting how many customers can get the new console.
On its Japan-focused online store, Sony is now accepting "purchase applications" from local buyers. Japanese gamers can apply to buy a brand-new PlayStation 5 Pro, but only until October 7. The company warns that submitting a purchase form doesn't necessarily guarantee the right to buy a console.
Quite the contrary, in fact. If the number of buying requests exceeds the number of sales Sony plans to finalize, the company will hold a lottery among applicants. Sony's wording essentially anticipates that demand will outstrip supply, and that every applicant must be a legitimate customer under the rules the lottery is based on.
– Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) September 28, 2026
Applicants will need to have logged at least 60 hours of playtime on PS4, PS5, or both, between September 27, 2024 and September 27, 2026, on a Japan-registered Sony account. Sony will begin notifying lottery "winners" around October 26, and they must complete their purchase through the company's online store by November 2.
After November 2, unfinalized sales will be voided and Sony will "re-lot" the consoles to other eligible customers. Purchase and shipping are available only in Japan, and each Sony account can apply for a single PS5 Pro. The lottery includes a few additional rules that further restrict customers' ability to buy a new model of Sony's most powerful console to date.
Sony's attempt to curb scalping and other malicious business is understandable, but it could turn out to be a double-edged sword. Rockstar is set to launch GTA VI on November 19, and a significant number of players might consider buying a new console just to experience the latest and greatest crime adventure everyone loves to hate.
And things could get worse. If shortages persist, Sony might expand its lottery-based program to the US and other regions outside Japan.