Maisie Scott
- A region-locked Midnight Black Edition is giving Japanese buyers a deal American players aren't getting.
- A true discount would put a disc-drive model under $500, and a disc-less model under $400, and those prices aren't coming back.
A region-locked Midnight Black Edition is giving Japanese buyers a deal American players aren't getting.
Sony is doing something interesting overseas right now, and if you live in the United States, it is hard not to feel left out. The company is trying to win back the market share it lost to the Switch 2 in its home country, and its main tool is a heavily discounted PS5 that you cannot buy here.
The catch is that the Japanese model is region-locked, and not only for discs. The language is locked as well, so you cannot switch the system away from Japanese. That restriction is part of why the price can sit so low, with special Japan-only editions going for about ¥ 350.
The newest one is the Midnight Black Edition, and it looks great. It comes with a black controller and black faceplates already fitted to the PS5 Slim, plus a matching Midnight Black disc drive. The drive is a separate add-on, since that is how consoles are sold now, but even with the extra cost, you are looking at roughly half what the Slim costs in the United States.
It may not be exactly half, but it is close enough to make the point. You can follow the logic. Japan is a smaller market, and a region-locked console limits where those units end up. Still, Sony found a way to hit $350, and it would be nice to see that same energy aimed at the United States, its biggest market. Right now you are paying over $600 for a PS5 with a disc drive and $900 for the PS5 Pro.
The timing is not great either. August was the worst month for PlayStation console sales since 2013, back when the PS3 was giving way to the PS4. Price plays a big role, along with the brand's general reputation and a thin lineup of games. If a console sells for $350 in one country, it is fair to want to see discounts on the PS5 in yours. Even if discounts show up this fall, don't expect much.
A true discount would put a disc-drive model under $500, and a disc-less model under $400, and those prices aren't coming back.
Even when the PS6 arrives next year at whatever price it carries, that does not mean the PS5 gets cheaper right away. The more likely outcome is that the price holds steady, or the console gets retired in favor of the new one.
The PS5 Pro looks like it has an even shorter future. Once the PS6 is announced, you can expect it to disappear.
Not enough units are being made for people who want one for GTA 6, so supply is tight before the new hardware is even in the picture. With all of that in mind, you should plan on prices staying where they are for a long time. That is why seeing the console marked down to $350 in Japan stings. You can accept that Japan is Sony's home country, but the United States is its biggest market, and that is just a fact.
Accessories are a sore spot too. Black faceplates for the PS5 Pro still do not exist. If you grabbed the Marvel's Wolverine ones expecting a great game, you already know how it turned out. It is fine and far from terrible, but it is not good enough to make you want Marvel's Wolverine on the side of your console, unlike the PlayStation 5 Console Covers – Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Limited Edition from years back, of which only five were ever made.
If the company wants to rebuild goodwill, a real PS5 price cut in the United States would be a good start, ideally before the PS6 launches. A Midnight Black Edition-style release for the PS5 Pro wouldn't hurt either. For now, all you can do is watch from a distance and hope it travels.
