New PS5 Rental Programs Emerge In Some Regions, And It's Already Super Popular In Japan

Sony is now allowing users in the UK and Japan to rent PS5, PlayStation VR 2, and PlayStation Portal devices. In the UK, Sony has partnered with leasing company Raylo for this, with plans covering 12-, 24-, and 36-month terms.

Plans start at £11/month for the PS5 digital slim model with a 36-month lease, and scale up from there for shorter lease durations. Leasing a PS5 Pro, meanwhile, starts at £19/month for 36 months, scaling up to £27/month for a 12-month lease. Sony also offers monthly rolling leases that allow players to cancel any time, but these are considerably more expensive (£36/month for the PS5 Pro).

This doesn't appear to be a rent-to-own program. The leasing website states that, "Your lease ends when you return your device, after your chosen lease term."

People can also rent the PSVR 2 starting at £18.50/month for a 36-month lease, the PlayStation Portal for £6.50/month over 36 months, and a DualSense Edge controller for £7.50/month over 36 months.

Raylo offers a "fair wear and tear policy" that states users can return a device with "obvious signs of use," including deep scratches, small dents, and discoloration. However, cracks, significant cosmetic damage, and functional faults are outside of the policy and could result in charges.

If you're interested in leasing a PlayStation device with Raylo, you can visit the leasing website to learn more and place an order.

A similar leasing program is available in Japan. It's proving to be very popular there, apparently, with Automaton reporting that rental allocation has already reached capacity. As of yet, however, there is no word on if the rental program will come to the US.

Many years ago, Microsoft announced Xbox All Access, a program that allowed players in the US to buy an Xbox and pay for it on a monthly schedule similar to a smartphone plan. The service appears to have been discontinued or scaled back in the US but is still available in New Zealand.

The PS5 Pro, priced at $700 USD, is among the most expensive video game consoles ever. It's not aimed at regular players, however, as Sony is instead targeting hardcore users who don't care very much about price.