Sony announced a new, more affordable version of the PlayStation 5 at the State of Play Japan event in November 2025. Sony has been dominating with its current-generation console, surpassing the combined sales of every Xbox with more than 84 million units sold as of November 11, 2025. That’s impressive, mainly because Sony has had to increase the base price of several PS5 versions. Now, for anyone looking to pick one up that’s a little less expensive, there’s a new one coming soon. Unfortunately, it’s not available to everyone, as it’s the first region-locked console Sony’s made since the PlayStation 2.
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At State of Play Japan, Sony didn’t end its presentation with the reveal of a new game; instead, it announced a new PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Japanese Exclusive for ¥55,000 ($355). The new console will be available on November 21, 2025, so the announcement came with only ten days for people to prepare. The device is exclusive to the Japanese market, making it unavailable outside the country. The new console is also limited to use within the region and will only be available in Japan’s PlayStation stores by late November.
Japanese Gamers Can Soon Buy a Cheaper PlayStation 5 Digital Edition
News of the Japanese Digital Edition PlayStation 5 isn’t incredibly surprising, as Nintendo is doing the same thing. The rival company released its own Japanese-Language System version of the Nintendo Switch 2 in 2025. Like Sony’s, that console is region-locked to the Japanese market, and Sony was clearly paying attention. Japan is one of the biggest video game markets on the planet, and it’s also home to both Nintendo and Sony. For Westerners, this new PS5 isn’t an option, save for those who understand Japanese and have financial assets in the country.
Sony’s press release includes a few details, including its suggested retail price of ¥55,000, which includes tax. The company will open pre-orders for Japanese customers at 10:00 a.m. on November 13, 2025, at both physical PlayStation retailers and in online stores. The new system features an 825 GB built-in SSD, and it can accommodate an external disk drive should any players want to use physical media, though this is not included. The same console sold in the United States is considerably more expensive, thanks to its $499 price tag.
The cheaper price is likely due to region-locking the new system to Japan. That’s not only where the company is headquartered, but also where its products are produced. Selling these systems outside of Japan would increase shipping and tariff costs, but limiting it domestically is probably why it’s $145 cheaper than the American version. Regardless, the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Japanese Exclusive will make it more affordable for Japanese gamers to pick up, and that can only mean more sales on the PlayStation Store, seeing as physical media isn’t the goal with this new system.
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