Anticipation for the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6 may be leading to the one thing some people feared most: console shortages. As people who have yet to upgrade to current-generation hardware rush to buy new consoles ahead of the game’s launch in November, we’re beginning to see supply chains, already strained by the AI race, getting pushed to the breaking point. The console most struggling to meet demand is the PS5 Pro, forcing Sony Japan to implement purchasing restrictions and a lottery system to fairly distribute new consoles in the country where the gaming giant is headquartered.
This new system, limited to purchases made directly through the Sony Store, requires players to use a Sony account with at least 60 hours of confirmed playtime on PS4 or PS5 hardware from September 27, 2024 until September 27, 2026. Players fulfilling these requirements can then apply to purchase hardware at a limit of one per customer until October 7, with results confirmed by October 26th for delivery in the first half of November, ensuring consoles arrive in time to play the new GTA game.
Lottery systems like this are nothing new to Japan. The launch of Nintendo Switch 2 there saw similar requirements placed on players, with pre-order lotteries held in the months prior to and just after the console’s launch. What is notable about this is how console sales for PlayStation in Japan have generally lagged far behind Nintendo in recent years due to the higher cost of PlayStation hardware, even after the company introduced a special region-locked, lower-priced SKU limited to the Japanese market in order to encourage adoption.
The upcoming launch of GTA now seems to have sparked a surge in demand, at least for the PS5 Pro. Standard PS5 models remain in stock. The lottery system is arguably a fairer method of distributing stock than a free-for-all would be, prioritizing active players on the platform versus just selling to anyone who happens to get lucky enough to be first in an online queue.
The lottery implementation suggests a resurgence in demand fueled by GTA that could trickle down to the rest of the product line to help revitalize the console’s sales in the country. Players want to play the best version of the game, and Sony has been marketing optimizations exclusive to the PS5 Pro. It’s also a reminder that more markets should borrow the lottery model for dealing with gaming hardware and accessory shortages in the future.