With the cost of a PlayStation 5 going up and up in price since the console's launch in 2020, late adopters are looking at a $599 entry-level price if they want to play Grand Theft Auto 6 on PS5 this November. While the current generation of consoles is bucking the trend that dedicated gaming devices typically go down in price over time — thanks a lot, generative AI speculation! — Sony is offering some small amount of relief to one market with a new PlayStation 5 console that costs around $350. It's only available in Japan.
But if you're willing to jump through some (serious) hoops, the new cheaper PlayStation 5 is now available for pre-order. Sony announced the new PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Midnight Black earlier this month, with pre-orders going live on Oct. 20. The system will be released on Nov. 19 (the same day as GTA 6) and costs 55,000 yen, which translates to about $350 in the U.S.
As the name suggests, the new edition wraps the entire console and the included DualSense controller in a sleek, matte-black finish. It's also digital-only, meaning no built-in disc drive support, but since there's no physical edition of GTA 6 on the horizon, that shouldn't matter much to price-conscious buyers. That said, Sony is selling a disc drive add-on for PlayStation fans who want to use disc-based games.
The Midnight Black disc drive for PS5 sells for 11,980 yen (about $75). Sony revealed the original model of its Japanese-language-only PlayStation 5 in 2025. The special edition is meant to offer the console at a relatively lower price in Japan than Sony can offer internationally, due to import tariffs and trade policies.
The new Midnight Black variation is identical to the Japan-exclusive PlayStation 5 launched last year, just in a new colorway. Nintendo also offers a Japan-only version of its Switch 2 that is region- and language-locked. That version of the system retails for 49,980 yen (about $315).
That's a much lower asking price than the North American Switch 2, which now costs $499.99. Getting your hands on the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Midnight Black won't be easy. Online retailers like Amazon Japan block the sale of the cheaper PS5 model outside of Japan, as do stores like Rakuten and Yodobashi.
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