Last month, Sony announced that they would begin allowing prospective PS5 players to lease a console for a monthly fee in the UK. While we’ve yet to receive any data on how this new program is progressing, a similar service in Japan has proven to be a major success.
As reported by the publication ItMedia (and translated by ResetEra user Neha), Geo Corporation’s PlayStation rental service in Japan is an early success, with the retailer reporting that “nearly 100% utilization is being achieved at roughly half of the stores” – averaging out to around 80% utilisation.
Speaking on this new service, Yusuke Sakai – the manager of GEO’s Product Division 1 – claimed “It’s been more successful than we expected,” adding: “We started discussing whether we could use our existing rental infrastructure to rent out PS5 consoles. Since GEO also buys used PS5 units, we already have the know-how for maintenance. Launching a PS5 rental service didn’t require additional labor or training costs. We can offer it at the industry’s lowest price.”
Of course, it is worth noting that Japan and the UK are two very different markets and so the success of a program in one region does not dictate its potential in another.
Still, with video game consoles, accessories and titles continuing to increase in price, renting out a console might become the most cost-effective way to engage with video games. We will have to wait and see how the program performs in the UK.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this rental program? Would you consider such a service? What do you think is a fair price? Let us know down below.
