PS5: An Economical Model Only for Japan

During the State of Play event held last night, which we remind you was presented entirely in Japanese with only subtitles for us Westerners, Sony announced a new PS5 model, although the "new" aspect seems to be solely in its distribution methods.

We are, in fact, talking about a PS5 Slim Digital conceptually identical to the one already available in all stores, but with two peculiar characteristics: the first is that it is only available for the Japanese domestic market, with a language and software purchase lock; the second is that it will be sold at the controlled price of 55,000 Yen, which at the current exchange rate corresponds to approximately €300.

Sony Reacts to Local and Global Economy

The reasons for such a move are quite evident to anyone with a minimal understanding of the current market: on one hand, we have an economic crisis that has heavily impacted Japan, causing the collapse of the Yen; on the other hand, we have an increasingly complex international situation, especially concerning the United States and the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on foreign products, particularly if they are manufactured in China – like Sony's consoles (and others).

Sony is therefore targeting the domestic market to try and boost its revenue, likely reluctantly resurrecting the concept of region-lock [in reality, already reintroduced by Nintendo with Switch 2] which it had abandoned since the PS3 era.

The launch of the Japan-cheap model also constitutes a protectionist maneuver as it should preclude, or at least reduce, the phenomenon of scalping and the dispersion of the product worldwide.
We will see if this is the case when the new model reaches Japanese stores on November 21st...