Sony Japan is trying to keep scalpers at bay with new restrictions for pre-ordering the upcoming PS5 Pro 30th anniversary edition, as only accounts with a set amount of time logged in to a PlayStation console will be eligible to place their pre-order.
More specifically, Automaton reported that on the official Japanese PlayStation site, users who want to pre-order the PS5 Pro 30th anniversary edition need a Japanese PSN account with at least 30 hours of runtime using either a PlayStation 4 or 5 between February 2014 and September 19, 2024.
While it may not be a super restrictive timeframe, it is a step in the right direction after dealing with scalpers these past few years, particularly with the release of the PS5 in 2020.
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Amid a global pandemic that made manufacturing hardware much more difficult and excitement from the public to get their hands on the new generation of gaming consoles, scalpers thrived, including a site dedicated to sneakers that pivoted to reselling consoles during that timeframe, according to Screen Rant, managing to ship over 140k units.
The PS5 Pro 30th anniversary edition is definitely a luxury item. Its retail price is $1000, and only 12,300 were manufactured worldwide, which is why scalpers have taken this opportunity to set ludicrous price tags for those looking to get their hands on it.
A report by Tom's Hardware states that, currently, you can find listings on eBay that are selling the anniversary edition from anything in between $3000 going as far as $12,300.
So while Japanese PlayStation fans will at least have an extra barrier of protection against scalpers, we can't say the same for the rest of the world, with the gray market already trying to exploit enthusiasts who want to get their hands on a nice collectible item this holiday season.
The regular PS5 Pro and anniversary edition will be released on November 7th. The regular pro version will cost $700, while the anniversary edition's original retail price is set at $1000 if you're lucky enough to snatch a pre-order.
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