Want a PS5 Pro from Sony Japan? First you have to prove you actually play.
## The rules @PlayStation_jp opened PS5 Pro applications on the Sony Store on Sept. 28, and Push Square laid out the rules:
- A PSN account registered in Japan
- At least 60 hours played in PS5 or PS4 games between Sept. 27, 2024 and Sept. 27, 2026
- Applications close Oct. 7; sales open Oct. 26
- If applicants outnumber units, it goes to a lottery, and winners have until Nov. 2 to buy
The console runs ¥137,980, about $877.
## Why now GTA VI. The PS5 Pro has been sold out at major U.S. retailers for weeks, and Push Square points to Rockstar's November launch as a big part of the demand. We've been tracking that pressure all month, from Xbox's preorder read to the $400 collector's box backlash. When one game can move $900 hardware, scalpers show up.
Sixty hours over two years isn't a high bar. It works out to roughly two and a half hours a month. But it's enough to cut out bot farms and fresh accounts made just to flip.
## The catch It locks out people who are new to PlayStation. Someone coming over from PC just for GTA VI, which plenty of people are, can't get in line. And sales tracking won't tell you which units went to players and which went to scalpers.
## The take It's Japan only for now. U.S. buyers didn't get anything like it at the PS5 launch, and scalpers ate well. With GTA VI coming in November and PS6 hardware on the horizon, a playtime check is a simple fix. Sony already knows how many hours you play. It should use that to make sure players get the console first.
## Sources - Push Square, Sept. 28, 2026: Sony Fighting PS5 Pro Scalpers in Japan with 60 Hour Gameplay Requirement - PlayStation Japan (@PlayStationjp), Sept. 28, 2026: [Sony Store PS5 Pro application announcement](https://x.com/PlayStationjp/status/2104375541994606692) - PlayStation Japan: PS5 Pro register-to-buy campaign