Sony is showing off the affordable PlayStation 5, but it will only be released in Japan. There are a few caveats with the latest variant of the PS5, but the discounts will likely make it a popular product in Sony's home country.
Depending on the type of system a player uses and the number of games they choose, gaming can quickly become an expensive hobby. Gamers are clearly still buying, and while the Nintendo Switch 2 has achieved milestones such as breaking sales records in Japan and around the world, some are reluctant to go with the console's high price, and a new discount on the PS5 would be an attractive opportunity.
The PlayStation 5 offers a cheaper version, but most players won't be able to afford it.
As announced during the State of Play Japan broadcast, the affordable PlayStation 5 has been revealed. The cheaper version of the console is the Digital Edition with 825GB of internal storage, and is scheduled to be released in Japan only on November 21, 2025. The new version is priced at 55,000 yen (about $355) based on the exchange rate at the time of publication, so it's a significant discount. By comparison, the standard 825GB digital edition PS5 costs $499 in the US, so Japanese buyers are looking at a 29% discount compared to what US buyers would pay. The Japanese version is significantly cheaper than the Digital Edition PS5 sold in the U.S. prior to the recent PlayStation 5 price increase.
Over time, players are gradually moving from PS4 to PS5, and this move could help PS5 surpass PS4 in terms of sales. When comparing PS4 and PS5, PlayStation 5 is slightly behind. The PlayStation 4 sold 86 million units in its first five years, while the PS5 sold 84.2 million units in the five years since its launch in 2020. The PS5 is already known to be the most profitable console generation in Sony's history, but selling more consoles would definitely be a plus.
Japanese gamers will likely be excited about this opportunity, but it's equally disappointing for gamers outside of Japan. However, Sony is not the first or only company to do this, as Nintendo released the Switch 2 at a lower price in Japan compared to other countries. That release had strict restrictions, so even if non-Japanese buyers wanted to get the system, they had to be able to understand Japanese and have a Japanese user account to play online. The same goes for the PS5, which will be released in the future. Buyers may find some discounts during the holiday shopping season, but they may also consider looking at refurbished models. Currently, Sony is selling a certified refurbished PS5 with 825GB of storage for $399. It's priced higher than the discounted Japanese version, but it also comes with a disc drive, so the slightly higher cost may be worth it for gamers who value owning a physical copy of the game.
Source: State of Play Japan
