It's PS5 launch day today, and if you missed out on PS5 pre-orders, now's your chance to grab a a console. If you don't have hundreds of dollars to hand however, it's not the end of the world – you can still pick up a next-gen console regardless.
Sony isn't specifically offering its own payment instalment program like the Xbox Series X and the Xbox All Access payment program, which does away with the upfront cost and lets you pay for the console over 24 months; but retailers are offering finance options – which are essentially the same kind of credit agreements as for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
For example, Best Buy is amongst US retailers offering instalments of $33.34 per month over 12 months for the PS5 Digital Edition, and $27.78 per month over 18 months or the standard PS5.
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In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Sony boss Jim Ryan explained that monthly payments for its hardware is something that's already happening this generation with the PS4, and will continue with the PS5.
"There's actually a very large promotion of PS4s that have been purchased using some sort of retail-driven financing model. It's what retailers do.
"The other thing that we've found, because we trade very successfully with many, many countries, is that people want different things in different markets. And we work very carefully, and laser focused, to provide financing solutions and bundles that meet the needs of whatever the particular market is.
"Poland is different to Scandinavia is different to Italy is different to the UK. We work very hard to try and ensure, together with the retail partners, that we are providing gamers with what they want to buy, not what it is we are looking to sell."
Xbox's own All Access is essentially just a credit agreement offered at particular retailers that will require approval based on your credit history. While it does have the added benefit of being interest free and having Game Pass included, there are penalties for missing payments that will see interest come into the equation.
The PS5 doesn't have a subscription service to compete with Game Pass, and you'll likely pay interest with most finance options at retailers, but it's not impossible to pay monthly for your new PS4. ShopTo, for example, is offering the PS5 with a couple of different payment options, from £21.60 per month over the course of 24 months.
While these options aren't being offered with PS5-specific branding, they do exist, so it's worth looking around if monthly payments will be more manageable for you.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
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