Sony Interactive Entertainment opened a new Sony Store purchase application window for PlayStation 5 Pro in Japan on September 28, 2026. Famitsu published the company notice the same morning, and PlayStation’s Japanese buy page now carries the same dates. If applications outrun the planned allotment, SIE will run a lottery instead of a first-come queue, and every applicant still has to clear a playtime gate before they can even enter.
That combination is the story. The console’s Japanese MSRP remains ¥137,980 tax included for the disc-free 2TB model, but the path to paying that price now runs through account residency, My Sony ID linking, and roughly 60 hours of logged PS4 or PS5 play across a closed two-year window. Overseas readers will not be able to join; Japan-resident accounts that sat idle since 2024 are also locked out.
The dates that matter
SIE’s notice, as carried by Famitsu and mirrored on playstation.com/ja-jp, lays out a short calendar from application through delivery. Applications opened today and close on October 7 at 23:59 Japan time. Results begin going out around October 26. Winners then have until November 2 to finish the Sony Store purchase, with deliveries targeted for early to mid-November. Twisted Voxel’s English write-up of the same page adds that unused winner slots can be redrawn later among remaining eligible applicants.
| Milestone | Date (Japan) | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Application window opens | Sep 28, 2026 | Eligible Japan Sony accounts can apply via the Sony Store flow SIE described |
| Application deadline | Oct 7, 2026, 23:59 | Late applications are out; playtime cannot be farmed after Sep 27 |
| Result notices begin | Around Oct 26, 2026 | SIE contacts selected applicants; lottery only if demand exceeds planned units |
| Purchase deadline for winners | Nov 2, 2026 | Sony Marketing handles checkout/shipping after SIE’s selection step |
| Delivery window | Early to mid-November 2026 | SIE’s published target; stock count still undisclosed |
Who can apply, and who is already out
The eligibility list is short and strict. Applicants need a Sony account registered in Japan that is used for PlayStation online services, a My Sony ID that shares the same sign-in ID, and at least 60 cumulative hours of PS4 and/or PS5 gameplay recorded while signed into that account between September 27, 2024 and September 27, 2026 at 23:59. Hours from either console count, and the two can be added together. Hours earned after that cutoff do not help.
| Requirement | Passes | Fails |
|---|---|---|
| Account region | Japan-registered Sony account used for PlayStation online services | US, EU, or other regional accounts; travelers without a Japan account |
| Playtime window | ≥60 hours on PS4, PS5, or both from Sep 27, 2024 through Sep 27, 2026 23:59 | New accounts, dormant accounts under 60 hours, or grinding that starts after the cutoff |
| ID linking | Applying Sony account already unified with a My Sony ID | Legacy accounts that never completed sign-in ID unification |
| Purchase intent | One console per qualifying account; Japan residency for the sale | Bulk/reseller applications SIE warns against; multi-account stacking |
Sixty hours over two years is not a hardcore bar. It averages out to roughly two and a half hours a month. The point of the gate is less about proving fandom than about filtering out fresh burner accounts created for a scarce SKU. Push Square framed the move as an anti-scalper measure after PS5 Pro stock tightened worldwide following August’s Grand Theft Auto VI coverage, and Sony’s own Japan page still opens with the shortage acknowledgment.
Price math and what the SKU actually is
The Japan MSRP on the buy page and in Famitsu’s product box is ¥137,980 including tax for PlayStation 5 Pro model CFI-7100B01: a disc-free console with a 2TB SSD, one DualSense, horizontal feet, HDMI and power cables, USB cable, and the pre-installed Astro’s Playroom. Vertical stand and disc drive remain separate purchases. At recent yen levels that ticket is roughly in the high-$800s in U.S. dollars, which is why English outlets have been calling it about $877–$880 rather than matching the original U.S. launch sticker.
| Item | Japan detail | Reader note |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | ¥137,980 (tax in) | SIE/Famitsu figure; FX moves the USD equivalent day to day |
| Storage / drive | 2TB SSD, disc-free base unit | Disc drive sold separately if you still buy physical |
| Included pad | One DualSense | Same bundle language as prior Japan Pro listings |
| Allocation size | Not disclosed | Lottery only triggers if applications exceed planned units |
Owner verdict
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Japan PSN account with ≥60 hours in the window, My Sony ID linked | Apply before Oct 7 23:59 JST. Selection is not a purchase yet; keep a payment method ready for the Oct 26–Nov 2 window if you win. |
| Japan account under 60 hours, or hours earned only after Sep 27 | You cannot catch up for this round. Watch for a later redraw only if SIE opens one for leftover units. |
| Outside Japan hoping to import through this store flow | This path is closed. It is a Japan-account, Japan-residency sale. |
| Already own a PS5 Pro | No action. One-per-account language is about new buyers, not a trade-in. |
| Waiting on PS Direct or retail outside Japan | This lottery does not change those channels. Treat it as a Japan-only allocation tool, not a global stock forecast. |
For NextGenConsole readers, the useful takeaway is narrower than another shortage headline. Sony is using account history as inventory control in its home market, with a calendar that stretches from today’s application into a November delivery. If you meet every checkbox, the only clock that matters this week is October 7. If you do not, this particular Sony Store window is already over for you, regardless of how quickly you could pay ¥137,980.