What you need to know
- An individual from Delhi beat Sony to the PS5 trademark filing in the country by three months.
- The PS5 trademark is currently in contention in India, and Sony should get the naming rights eventually.
- Sony hasn't revealed pricing or availability information for the PS5 in India, but new information suggests it could retail for ₹55,000 ($750).
The PlayStation 5 is up for pre-order in most countries ahead of its launch on November 12, but that's not the case in India. Sony hasn't announced PS5 pricing or availability for India, and a new report suggests Sony has a bigger problem on its hands: it doesn't own the trademark to the PS5 name in India.
As revealed by The Mako Reactor, the trademark for the PS5 name in India was filed on October 29, 2019 by Hitesh Aswani of Delhi, three months before Sony got around to doing the same. The filing is currently in a contested state and shows as Opposed, and while Sony should win the trademark eventually, it adds another layer of hassle at a time when it cannot afford one.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time a major brand had to deal with trademark issues in India. ASUS lost out on the ZenFone naming rights last year after a local brand took the Taiwanese manufacturer to court for infringing on its existing Zen Mobile trademark. As a result, the ZenFone 6 was launched as the ASUS 6z in India.
Sony doesn't have that particular problem as the PS5 filing was done by an individual, and Sony can easily prove that it has prior claim to the moniker. But the delay in securing the name will push back the release of the PS5 in India, and it doesn't look like we'll get to know pricing or availability information anytime soon.
Citing retail sources, The Mako Reactor has suggested that the PS5 may debut at ₹55,000 ($750) in India, ₹5,000 ($68) more than the Xbox Series X. Sony may launch just the PS5 in the country, eschewing the PS5 Digital Edition. We're awaiting official word from Sony, but if you're looking to pick up the PlayStation 5 in India, know that you're in for a long wait.
