PS5 will get a cheaper digital version, but exclusive to Japan

During the State of Play held last Tuesday (11), Sony announced that it is preparing a new digital version of the PlayStation 5 (PS5), which will be exclusive to Japan. Anyone who invests in it will pay less than for the international model of the console, but will not be able to use languages ​​other than Japanese.

The move is similar to what Nintendo did when announcing the Switch 2, which has a model with similar characteristics sold in the country. The reduced price is intended to appeal more to a local audience, while region restrictions are used as a method of preventing the hardware from becoming attractive for resale in other territories.

According to Sony, the new digital version of the PS5 will be sold for 55 thousand yen, or R$1,872 in a direct conversion. The value is considerably lower than the 72,980 yen (R$2,484) charged for the model without locks, but still higher than the original price charged for the digital device in Japan — which cost 39,980 yen at its debut, before undergoing several adjustments.

Sony wants to stimulate PS5 sales in Japan

The Japanese company’s announcement appears to be a direct consequence of criticism made by several partner studios in recent times. According to Capcom, Monster Hunter Wilds’ overall performance was hampered by the fact that the PS5 costs too much, especially by Japanese standards.

According to the company’s president, Haruhito Tsujimoto, the price charged for the console is especially prohibitive for younger generations. He also noted that this is not a problem restricted to Japanand that consumers in other countries also have difficulty purchasing new consoles.

What differentiates Sony’s stance towards Nintendo is the fact that the new PS5 will not make the “international” version rarer or harder to obtain. In the country, the region-locked Switch 2 is considered the standard model in stores, while the version with support for multiple regions can only be purchased through the My Nintendo Store.

Although the most recent generation of PlayStation suffered from a pandemic and several price increases, its commercial performance can still be considered as positive. This week, Sony revealed that it has already sold more than 84 million units of the device, which it considers to have only reached half of its life cycle.

Fonte: VGC