Sony Touts PS5 Console Leasing Plans In The UK, Will The US Be Next?
If buying a modern game console is too expensive these days, Sony has an alternative solution—lease a PlayStation 5 and select accessories for a monthly fee (cue the groans). Interested gamers can select from 12-month, 24-month, and 36-month lease options, after which they have to option to upgrade, keep paying a monthly fee, or return the item(s).
This is not a new program, though it's gaining widespread attention after Sony promoted a limited-time discounted rate on social media for users in the U.K. Pricing for a PS5 console now starts at £9.95 per month instead of £10.99 previously, which gets you a PlayStation 5 Digital. That rate applies to a 36-month commitment. Pricing for 24 months is set at £10.49/month, and 12 months runs £14.59/month. There's also a £19.49/month option with no term commitment. As far as we know, no such program from Sony exists in the U.S. (yet).
Join your friends on PlayStation 5 with Flex. Lease a PS5 Digital Edition console starting at £9.95 per month, for a limited time only: https://t.co/7O84kquQ89 pic.twitter.com/RCeCNQfdZF
— PlayStation UK (@PlayStationUK) February 12, 2026
Sony's post on X (through its PlayStation UK account) has amassed over 4.9 million views and hundreds of comments in the span of around 24 hours. While it's certainly gaining a lot of attention, it's not necessarily the kind one would like to receive. Scrolling through the comments reveals lots of negative reactions and F-bombs.
"Disgusting greed from Sony," one of the comments reads. Another states, "This is nasty. F**king ridiculous. F**k you sh**ty corporation."
One of the main gripes is that the program is not a rent-to-own type of deal. Part of the frustration also likely stems from the fact that Sony, like other manufacturers, raised the price of its console towards the end of its lifecycle. Back in August, pricing in the U.S. went by $50 for each PS5 model, topping out at $749.99 for the PS5 Pro.
Looking at the lease program, the least expensive option comes out to £358.20 at the end of 36 months, which is around $488 in U.S. currency. That's pretty much the cost of a PS5 Digital if buying it outright, except after 36 months of lease payments, you won't own the system.
Lease payments start at £11.59/month for the PS5 1TB and £16.99/month for the PS5 Pro. Sony's leasing partner, Raylo, also offers options for the PS Portal (from £7.49/month), PS VR2 (from £10.99/month) and DualSense Edge wireless controller (from £6.49/month). Additionally, there are lease options for the PS5 Digital with dual DualSense controllers (from £10.99/month) and PS5 1TB with dual controllers (from £12.49/month). Note that all of those starting points are for 36-month commitments. Pricing is higher on shorter leases.
Like it or not (and clearly, the majority of outspoken ones do not), this is becoming a trend as manufacturers and retailers cope with an industry-wide memory shortage. It started even before then, though. NZXT made waves in 2024 with its PC rental program, and more recently, HP starting promoting an Omen gaming laptop subscription service.
Are we having fun yet?
