Recently leaked news claims that Sony is about to release a new PS5 console that will be priced well below the current retail price.However, this lower-priced PS5 is said to have regional restrictions and cannot be used in the United States.
This piece of news first appeared on major hardware forums in early November.Rumor has it that PlayStation will release a new PS5 that will only be sold in Japan.An InstallBase forum user wrote: "I heard that Sony may launch a Japanese region-locked PS5 digital console priced at 50,000 yen on November 21."
What is strange is that SIE announced last night that it will hold a special State of Play Japan live broadcast event on November 12, focusing on Japanese and Asian games. At the end of the announcement, it specifically mentioned that there will be "some other surprises."If the rumors are true, then this means that the price of PS5 in Japan will be significantly reduced.
Big PS5 price cut in Japan?
It is reported that the price of the new PS5 will be 50,000 yen.Converted to U.S. dollars, that's about $330.In comparison, the current retail price of the PS5 digital version console in North America is US$499.
Overseas players had mixed reactions to this revelation.Some PlayStation fans have criticized Sony for offering a $150 cheaper console to Asian markets.However, hardware enthusiasts point out that the massive price cut in Japan is likely due to Nintendo outselling the PS5.In contrast, the majority of PS5 sales come from North America and Europe.
One Reddit user said: "The problem is that PS5 sales are good in other regions except Japan. Even if Switch 2 is released in Japan, PS5 sales are still not as good as Switch 1."
Another user commented: "Oh, they should have done this years ago. But it feels a bit late now. Hopefully they will launch a similar product in Japan on the day the PS5 handheld launches."
However, some players are skeptical of this move: "This will not prevent PlayStation from being killed by Nintendo in Japan; it is like delaying their death." As for why the new PS5 console is region-locked, it is to prevent players outside Japan from buying it.
