Sony has a different approach to combatting 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro scalpers in Japan, imposing a strict set of purchase requirements that must be met

(Image credit: Sony)

After Sony unveiled its stunning PlayStation 30th Anniversary collection and preorders went live, the limited edition PS5 Pro bundle sold out almost immediately - and unsurprisingly, this sparked a slew of listings from scalpers online.

While it was previously revealed that there would be a "highly limited supply" of the special edition consoles, there were essentially no purchase requirements put in place to prevent scalping - in the West, anyway. Things look a little bit different overseas in Japan, where Sony has gone as far as implementing a strict set of requirements that all buyers must first adhere to before purchasing the retro-themed special edition PlayStation 5 Pro bundle.

Sony's Japanese PlayStation website for 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro preorders showcases as much - and boy, could other countries use some of these purchase conditions. Buyers must have a PlayStation Network account registered within Japan and at least 30 hours of playtime in any game(s) on a PS4 or PS5 clocked between February of 2014 and September 19, 2024. It certainly sounds like a system that regions outside of Japan would've benefited from.

As of now, scalpers' eBay listings in the United Kingdom and the United States alone feature eye-watering prices ranging in the higher thousands - because who doesn't want to spend a whopping $5,000 or even $10,000 on the PS5 Pro bundle? It's moments like these that I'm especially thankful to be a Nintendo Switch and PC enthusiast myself - although I do hope that Sony protects its fans' wallets better in the future globally, as they are doing in Japan.

PRODUCTS

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.