Due to memory shortages, Japanese gamers can buy the PS5 Pro only after proving their "gaming history" and winning a lottery

The global RAM shortage keeps hitting game console production, and Sony has had to take an unusual step. In Japan, PlayStation launched a lottery system for buying the PS5 Pro, open only to gamers with verified playtime. The requirement sounds simple – at least 60 hours of playtime on a Sony account since September 2024.

The news comes from Genki, an account that covers the video game industry, which posted a translation of the official PlayStation Japan blog from September 27. In the post, Sony Japan openly acknowledged the problem:

PS5 Pro is also facing stock shortages in Japan.

Things got worse after the GTA 6 reveal in August, which sent demand soaring and all but wiped out console stock in the US. Scalpers jumped on the opportunity and pushed prices up worldwide.

According to the translated blog, only players with at least 60 hours of playtime on PS5 or PS4, or both combined, earned between September 27, 2024 and September 27, 2026 can enter the lottery. This modest proof of being a "real gamer" has to show up directly on the online Sony account, so faking a play history after the fact won't work.

Eligible players in Japan can apply right now, with applications open until October 7. Sony will start notifying "winners" – the people who get the chance to spend 137,980 yen, slightly less than the $900 US price of the PS5 Pro – on October 26.

Winners can't relax, though. Sony set a strict payment deadline: the console has to be purchased by November 2, or the winning spot goes back into the pool and will be redrawn in an additional lottery later this year.

The unusual scheme has already sparked a lively reaction among PlayStation fans worldwide. In one Reddit thread, the top comment reads: "I hope this is what they do for the eventual PS6 release." Since the current shortage comes from a lack of components rather than players rushing to buy, Sony may well repeat this approach to distributing consoles in the future, no matter how divisive players find it.