Sony is launching a cheaper PlayStation 5 – but only in one country and one language

The dream of a cheaper PlayStation 5 is becoming reality in Japan, while the rest of the world can only watch from afar. Sony has announced a new digital-only version of the PS5 that will be sold exclusively on its home turf – and priced well below the familiar models.

From 21 November, the new edition will hit Japanese stores at 55,000 yen which is €303 at today’s exchange rate. The regular model is priced at 73.000 yen (€453), so the saving for the Japanese buyers isn’t insignificant.

Japanese-only language and region-locked

The low price does come with a very clear caveat. The new model is a purely digital PS5 that only offers Japanese as its menu and system language.

On top of that, the console will be region-locked, so it behaves as a Japanese PS5 no matter where in the world it ends up. According to several industry outlets, this is the first time since the PlayStation 2 era that Sony has chosen to enforce region locking directly on the console hardware.

At the end of the most recent Japan-focused State of Play broadcast, Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Hideaki Nishino presented the model as “something truly special” for Japanese players.

That “special” label is not about extra hardware features, but about the price and about tailoring the product for players who prefer a Japanese user interface anyway.

For most Japanese gamers, a console that “only speaks Japanese” is no real obstacle, which makes it easier for Sony to remove features intended for a global audience. At the same time, the region lock makes it far less tempting for retailers outside Japan to import cheap consoles and resell them.

Inflation, tariffs, and pressure from Nintendo

Behind the decision sits a mix of economic and strategic considerations. The Japanese economy has been wrestling with inflation and a weakened yen for some time, and Sony’s home market is also full of consumers who are very sensitive to price.

It is also the battlefield where Nintendo is doing extremely well with Switch 2, which already exists in a cheaper, Japan-specific edition.

The price of the new digital PS5 in Japan corresponds as mentioned to €303 – while the standard digital PS5 on the US market has a pricetag around $460, after a price hike earlier this year.

Part of that difference comes from the tariffs on electronics introduced under Donald Trump, which continue to push prices up in the United States.

Globally, the PS5 has now passed 84 million units sold, and Sony needs growth in markets where there is still room for more customers. A sharply priced, Japan-only digital model is one way of squeezing a bit more momentum out of its home territory before the next hardware generation takes over.