Want a 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro? In Japan, you’ll have to prove you’re a real gamer for it

The PlayStation 5 Pro is coming soon, and Sony celebrated with a limited edition 30th anniversary edition of the upgraded console in the original PlayStation grey. Even with the console’s high price, there were plenty of people still ready to get the upgrade.

Much like the original PlayStation 5, acquiring the console proved to be difficult due to the high amount of scalpers ready to resell the console at outrageously high prices, especially after the limited edition has already sold out. While this might be a problem over here in the US, Japan seems to have a way around these scalpers. On the Japanese PS5 Pro website, the reservation page for the 30th Anniversary PS5 Pro has specific requirements listed at the bottom. In order to qualify, you must have a PlayStation Network account registered in Japan with a total of 30 hours of playtime between 2014 and 2024, on either the PS4 or PS5. Once this requirement is met, you must link your account with your My Sony ID, at which you’ll be able to complete your application.

Having to prove that you are an actual PlayStation fan to buy this new console is a good step in combating scalpers who are attempting to ruin the shopping experience for actual gamers. The US page could have benefited from this requirement as well, as doing so might have avoided the console becoming unavailable so quickly. Even if the 30 hour requirement might be a little light compared to some of the more hardcore gamers out there, it is still a good way to weed out some of the pretenders.

As the release date for the PlayStation 5 Pro draws closer, it will be interesting to see if Sony implements these requirements to their online stores in more areas as the demand for PS5 Pros increases.