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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

GEO, a Japanese company that specializes in buying, selling, and renting products (notably physical discs and video games), announced that its new PlayStation 5 rental service has been doing exceptionally well since it started on February 28. One month following the initial rush (which coincided with the launch of Monster Hunter Wilds), half of GEO's 400 stores with rentable PS5s reported still renting out consoles at 100% operating capacity.

In an interview with ITmedia, GEO representative Yusuke Sakai explains that the decision to offer PS5 rentals came as a result of the declining rental sales of CDs and DVDs (which is largely attributed to the rise of online subscription services). This decline in physical media rentals also coincided with the steep price increase of the PS5 in Japan in September 2024, when the console's price was hiked up from 66,980 yen (about $470 USD) to 79,980 yen (about $561 USD) This prompted Sakai's division to look into ways that GEO could capitalize on the company's know-how with the console.

"We started looking into whether we could use our current rental system to rent out PS5 consoles," says Sakai. "GEO also buys PS5s, so we had the know-how for maintenance and other aspects. As there were no additional labor or training costs needed to start renting PS5s, we were able to offer them at the lowest prices in the industry," says another GEO rep.

As for the service itself, you can rent a PS5 from specific GEO stores for eight days and seven nights at 980 JPY (around $6.9 USD). If you want to keep the console for longer, you can avail yourself of the fifteen-day and fourteen-night plan that costs 1,780 JPY ($12.50 USD). Any extensions outside of your initial plan come at 500 JPY ($3.5 USD) per day.

With regards to save data, you get a factory reset PS5 whenever you use the rental service. This means you can't re-rent the same unit with your data still on it. Instead, you're encouraged to either use the longer plans or extend your existing one. Considering the length of some modern titles, this may have been part of GEO's strategy.

While PS5 sales have never been higher, Sakai says that the console rental service is an extension of GEO's rental philosophy that allows people to enjoy expensive things at a lower price. The service seems to be going well for GEO, as half of its stores across the country are fully booked.

A month later, Japan’s cheap new PS5 rental service is still proving successful, with 200 locations renting out consoles at 100% capacity - AUTOMATON WEST

GEO's cheap PS5 rental service was a big hit when it first launched (on the same day as Monster Hunter Wilds), but a month later, it's still proving popular.

automaton-media.com

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

Makes sense. Is probably easier to pull off as a business than offering gaming PCs for rental. Don't think it'll make a dent in the PC vs console ratio, though, as most Japanese households aren't poor enough (yet).

 

[Baemono]

It awlays baffles me that する becomes できる

 

[Power Pro]

It awlays baffles me that する becomes できる

Don't even get me started on things in Japanese that are hard to understand lol, like number counters.

 

[Ozriel]

Time for NZXT to swoop in with their PC subscription plans

 

[Baemono]

Don't even get me started on things in Japanese that are hard to understand lol, like number counters.

I mean it makes totally sense that you can't use 本 to count books

 

[Gen.Grievous]

Japan is very open to renting (including entire families) so it doesn't surprise me a business like this is successful.

When I was a kid we still had video rental stores that also offered game and console rentals and I did use it a few times to rent a SNES for a week when there was a game I really wanted to play as we could not afford to purchase consoles and games outright. I think today a store like that would not have a lot of success. People can purchase that stuff on credit too easily now.

 

[Goalus]

But what about ownership?
Will consumers be able to still rent it in 20 years from now?

 

[Skifi28]

But what about ownership?

"-Talking about a rental service"

"-But what about ownership?"

 

[MayauMiao]

But what about ownership?
Will consumers be able to still rent it in 20 years from now?

Why would they rent it 20 years later when its likely to be available everywhere?

 

[kapshin]

Blockbuster is back baby!

 

[Physiognomonics]

Just shows Japan still want PS5s but they are way too expensive.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

The problem with PS5 isn't that people don't want them. It's that they are too expensive. There's a market for people that want these consoles for the equivalent of 400/300, etc...specially after 5 years.

 

[struggler_guts]

It awlays baffles me that する becomes できる

To do vs able to do

 

[Baemono]

To do vs able to do

I know, it's the fact that it transforms to something totally different baffles me

 

[struggler_guts]

I know, it's the fact that it transforms to something totally different baffles me

Yeah language is weird af, bunch of made up shit we just agreed on lol

 

[hemo memo]

But what about ownership?
Will consumers be able to still rent it in 20 years from now?

You don't even own the things you buy in gaming, and you're asking about ownership in a rental service?

 

[AJUMP23]

Save your Yen and purchase. You can do it Japan.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Save your Yen and purchase. You can do it Japan.

I would agree with this, but unfortunately the PS5 has become a bit too expensive in Japan after the last price hike, so my JP bros' best bet to play something like MH Wilds is to rent a unit since the price seems very affordable (around $7 USD per week, which comes to $1 USD per day).

 

[smbu2000]

So you can rent game consoles in Japan, but you can't rent games. Heh.

 

[AJUMP23]

I would agree with this, but unfortunately the PS5 has become a bit too expensive in Japan after the last price hike, so my JP bros' best bet to play something like MH Wilds is to rent a unit since the price seems very affordable (around $7 USD per week, which comes to $1 USD per day).

That isn't terrible. I would say rent one for a couple of weeks while saving money to purchase. You do not have to eat out, and I bet they are eating out. Make some plans to get a ps5. Surprised at the low rental price.

 

[Deerock71]

Blockbuster is back baby!

Kind of what I was thinking.

 

[ReBurn]

Reminds me of the olden times when I would rent a VCR along with movies for the weekend.

 

[mathello]

In south America consoles are tarrified to hell or at least were when I was young, and everyone rented consoles.

 

[Cakeboxer]

Reminds me of the times i rent a Game Cube for Luigis Mansion. I like it, if it was in my country i would perhaps play Astro Bots instead of waiting for the pc release.

 

[adamsapple]

But what about ownership?

We love rentals now.

 

[Woopah]

Expect another boost when Ghost of Yotei comes out!

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

I wonder if they're ever going to implement this in other countries, particularly those where PS5 has seen more price increases to try offsetting tariffs (and leave the US price untouched; not something I necessarily agree with, but that seems like SIE's strategy)?

 

[hououinkyouma00]

I wonder if they're ever going to implement this in other countries, particularly those where PS5 has seen more price increases to try offsetting tariffs (and leave the US price untouched; not something I necessarily agree with, but that seems like SIE's strategy)?

I was thinking about this and I don't think it would work in the States at least

People here don't take care of their shit, and these would come back broken and gross.

When I was in Japan basically everything used was pristine and if it wasn't then it was heavily discounted.

The difference between something like a Hard Off and GameStop or anything else in the states is night and day in the way people take care of things.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Just shows Japan still want PS5s but they are way too expensive.

But the Switch is not too expensive??

 

[Goalus]

"-Talking about a rental service"

"-But what about ownership?"

It's a legitimate question because any rental service is a threat against ownership. I was questioning the positive reception of the thread topic in the sense of "what will happen to ownership should this business model gain any traction?"

Why would they rent it 20 years later when its likely to be available everywhere?

Is the Gamecube available everywhere nowadays, or the Wonderswan Color? It might be tricky to get one in brand-new, untouched condition.

You don't even own the things you buy in gaming, and you're asking about ownership in a rental service?

A rental service is, as mentioned above, a blatant threat against ownership. They are not even trying to hide it anymore by coming out as a literal "rental service" - that's why the future looks bleak and what motivated my question. Just imagine what could happen if more and more people take a liking to this service.

 

[MayauMiao]

Is the Gamecube available everywhere nowadays, or the Wonderswan Color? It might be tricky to get one in brand-new, untouched condition.

People who rent will have no interest in collecting old consoles. Their aim is to play the game as cheaply as possible, and maybe down the line will buy the games but will do so on any platform.

 

[Skifi28]

It's a legitimate question because any rental service is a threat against ownership. I was questioning the positive reception of the thread topic in the sense of "what will happen to ownership should this business model gain any traction?"

What's the amount of people renting consoles vs the millions buying them? It's negligible. If you're worried about rental vs ownership, you should be preaching in all the gamepass and PS plus threads instead. But from your posting history, you seem to really like gamepass so I don't understand your problem with renting consoles.

 

[Goalus]

What's the amount of people renting consoles vs the millions buying them? It's negligible. If you're worried about rental vs ownership, you should be preaching in all the gamepass and PS plus threads instead. But from your posting history, you seem to really like gamepass so I don't understand your problem with renting consoles.

It makes no sense to preach in Game Pass and PS+ threads because a lot of people do that already. I guess essentially I want to raise awareness that renting is not owning.

 

[Skifi28]

It makes no sense to preach in Game Pass and PS+ threads because a lot of people do that already. I guess essentially I want to raise awareness that renting is not owning.

It's literally called a rental service, I don't think anyone will confuse it with owning anything. I'd very much like to see the same energy and concern from you on gamepass threads, instead of just praising it you should be warning people that playing games "for free" and cloud gaming is actually renting and threatens ownership. It doesn't matter if other people are doing it, I'd like to hear it from your mouth. Ownership is very important to you after all!

 

[Goalus]

It's literally called a rental service, I don't think anyone will confuse it with owning anything.

I am not sure about that, even IGN felt the need to dedicate an entire article to reminding people that they don't own the Game Pass games. This was at a time when subscription services like Netflix were well-established.

I'd very much like to see the same energy and concern from you on gamepass threads, instead of just praising it you should be warning people that playing games "for free" and cloud gaming is actually renting and threatens ownership. It doesn't matter if other people are doing it, I'd like to hear it from your mouth. Ownership is very important to you after all!

I never said that, I am merely spreading the word on behalf of those to whom it is very important (until their preferred platform holder does something that goes against it).

 

[Skifi28]

I am not sure about that, even IGN felt the need to dedicate an entire article to reminding people that they don't own the Game Pass games. This was at a time when subscription services like Netflix were well-established.

I never said that, I am merely spreading the word on behalf of those to whom it is very important (until their preferred platform holder does something that goes against it).

Ahhh, you are concerned on behalf of other people who shall not be named. Got it, very noble of you.

 

[StueyDuck]

#ConsolePass

I need a Phil Spencer PR statement about ConsolePass before I truly am sold on the premise.

I couldn't imagine renting a console though. I get they are expensive now, but renting just sounds like a nightmare.

 

[Famipan]

I can imagine that GEO are encouraging people to buy USB-sticks for backing up their data before they go back with it.
How many minutes does it take to back up a console with save data and pictures?
The clerks probably spend a lot of time helping customers with that in store.

 

[Famipan]

Another options is to buy a used console and then sell it back which I exactly did at Geo with their PS4's. Unfortunately a PS4 Pro I had died, but fortunately I found a Japanese guy who buys and repairs dead PS4's for a good price.

But it's no option for PS5 and MHWilds which costs a lot, and then they have to pay the PS+ fee too, so I guess they feel that if they already have to pay a fee for online they rather rent the whole shebang.

 

[Chechack]

For some reason this days in asia nearoy every rental/leasing business is booming.
Dont know whats happening and how did this sudden shift of business model is booming but everything is rental/lease business model these days here.
From full office cctv systems to ebike rental service for security housing community service.
It weird and doesnt make sense due to people who thinks having ownership is better but its really growing here.