PS5 Pro’s price reveal causes gaming PC retailers in Japan to go all out on competitive deals
“You can buy a gaming PC for 120,000 yen.” Japanese people have been seeing an increasing number of advertisements worded this way in the past few days. But what else costs 120,000 yen? A PlayStation 5 Pro, as recently revealed by Sony.
The announcement of the PS5 Pro’s steep price tag has caused significant dissatisfaction both in the US and Europe, where the console will set gamers back $700 and €800 respectively. But much like European gamers, Japanese players are faced with paying even more for the console than people in the US. The 119,980-yen price point is equivalent to over $840, based on recent conversion rates.
To make matters worse, Sony recently hiked the price of standard PS5 console models in Japan. On September 2, the suggested retail price jumped from 66,980 yen (about $463) to 79,980 yen (about $552). Apart from severe backlash across social media, this decision caused the console to sell out all over the country in the days leading up to the price increase and even gave the Xbox a boost in sales.
With the subsequent announcement of the PS5 Pro, Sony has made even more gamers disgruntled with its pricing, and Japan’s PC manufacturers have apparently taken this as a lucrative business opportunity. As spotted by Otaku Souken, Japanese social media in particular has been swamped with advertisements for gaming PCs that cost 120,000 yen or exactly 119,800 yen, like the PS5 Pro.
As seen above, Applied (a major PC retailer with stores across Japan) even put out advertisements for gaming PCs using the hashtag #PS5 Pro, taking a direct jab at Sony with their 119,800-yen-deals.
Other Japanese PC manufacturers have been showing off their gaming PCs in the 120,000-yen range in similar ways, such as by updating their guides on how to choose a gaming PC in a bid to attract new users.
