Key Takeaways
- With PS5 prices rising, Japanese retailers like GEO are offering affordable rental options to make high-end gaming more accessible.
- U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs are putting pressure on leading video game manufacturers.
- As hardware and software prices climb, gamers are increasingly turning to subscriptions and cloud gaming.
Rentals of Sony’s PlayStation 5 are surging in popularity in Japan as the video game industry continues to contend with rising prices, supply chain disruptions, and tariff threats.
Although PS5 hardware sales have declined significantly in Japan since the console’s original release, a growing rental market may be offering a new route for potential gamers who can’t afford the rising prices.
PS5 Rentals Gain Momentum
According to Japanese retailer GEO, its PS5 rental service has become “more popular” than initially expected and is frequently sold out.
GEO, which operates over 1,000 entertainment rental stores across Japan, began offering PS5 rentals in February.
The company’s rental manager, Yusuke Sakai, told ITMedia that GEO has managed to offer console rentals at lower prices than its competitors.
Customers can rent a PS5 from GEO for 980 yen ($7) per week or 1,780 yen ($12.50) for two weeks.
While other companies have previously provided PS5 rentals, their rates were typically much higher.
Sakai explained that GEO’s ability to reduce costs stems from its in-house hardware repair expertise and its established offline and online rental infrastructure.
Price Hikes
The increase in rentals comes amid a broader economic shift affecting the gaming industry, including price hikes and increased import costs from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
In 2024, Sony raised the global price of the PS5 by approximately 19%, citing a challenging economic climate.
“At that point, we began considering whether we could offer PS5 rentals through our existing rental network,” Sakai said.
On April 13, Sony announced additional price increases for the PS5 in the U.K., Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, and Africa.
The company again attributed the rise to “high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates,” while the most recent increase also aligned with the fallout from Trump’s global tariff measures.
Although Trump paused the harshest tariffs for most countries, he raised import tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%.
Since Sony manufactures most of its consoles in China, it is particularly susceptible to these tariffs.
Renting vs. Owning
The issue of ownership is becoming increasingly important for gamers.
Traditionally, buying a physical game meant owning a tangible product that could be kept, sold, or traded.
However, with the rise of digital subscriptions such as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass, gamers are often only granted access licenses, not full ownership.
These licenses can be altered or made unusable if a company changes its terms of service.
This issue was highlighted in recent live-service game failures, such as Sony’s Concord, which became unplayable just two weeks after its release.
However, if game and console prices continue to rise, demand for subscriptions and cloud-based alternatives may increase.
Nintendo recently announced the launch price of the Switch 2 at $449.99—$150 more than the original.
Its flagship launch title, Mario Kart World, caused controversy when it was announced that it would be released for $79.99, making it the most expensive standard video game the company has ever released.
According to GlobalData’s 2025 Console Gaming Report, the cloud gaming market—valued at $4 billion in 2024—is projected to grow to $22 billion by 2030.
“The cloud gaming market is still in its early stages, but competition is heating up,” the report states. “Microsoft and Sony are well-positioned to lead, thanks to their dual focus on consoles and cloud services.”
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
