Sony has announced a Midnight Black version of its Japan-only PS5 Digital Edition through the Japanese PlayStation Blog, and it goes on sale on November 19 for ¥55,000 (roughly $350) including tax. That's the same day GTA 6 launches, and Sony mentions the game right alongside the console in its announcement. Pre-orders open on October 20 at PlayStation retailers and online stores in Japan. The new model, CFI-2200B02S, comes with the same catch as the white Japan-only version from last November: the system language is locked to Japanese, and the console only works with PlayStation accounts registered to Japan. Other than that, it's a regular PS5 Digital Edition with an 825 GB SSD. A matching Midnight Black disc drive also launches on November 19 for ¥11,980 (about $76).
The pricing is the more interesting part. When Sony raised PS5 prices worldwide in April, the Japan-only model stayed at ¥55,000 (~$350), while the standard Digital Edition in Japan jumped to ¥89,980 (~$570). In the US, the Digital Edition now sells for $599.99, so the region lock seems to be there mostly to stop these units from being exported. Sony also used the announcement to repeat that new PlayStation games will be digital only from January 2028. That's a slightly awkward message to pair with a brand-new disc drive, especially since physical copies still bring in a sizeable share of revenue for its biggest exclusives. There's no word about a release outside Japan, and with US console prices sitting at record highs, it's reasonable to expect that this cheaper black PS5 stays a Japan-only affair.[](https://www.techpowerup.com/img/PTumBbuGlOm18L3g.jpg) [](https://www.techpowerup.com/img/9AZXHG29Yj6IBJan.jpg) [](https://www.techpowerup.com/img/ukgRRfgpctPR8SPr.jpg)
Source: TechPowerUp News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing