Sony has launched a new PlayStation 5 console rental program in the United Kingdom in partnership with the Raylo service. The initiative, called Flex, allows users to get a console through a subscription with monthly payments instead of a one-time purchase.
Raylo is a British device rental service offering TVs, smartphones, home appliances, and gaming devices by subscription. PS5 consoles were already available on the platform, but the new partnership with PlayStation Direct simplifies the ordering process and makes it more official: the hardware is ordered directly through Sony's online store. The program is available only to PlayStation UK customers and has effectively been operating since at least March 2025 — the company is now simply actively promoting the offer.
Users have four rental options: for 12, 24, and 36 months, as well as an open-ended "flexible" plan with monthly payments. The most cost-effective option is considered to be the three-year contract: the base PlayStation 5 Slim starts at £9.95 per month. The flexible plan costs £19.50 per month for the PS5 Slim and £37.49 for the PlayStation 5 Pro with 2 TB of storage. The final cost depends on the selected device.
PlayStation VR2, the PlayStation Portal handheld device, and the premium DualSense Edge controller are also available for rent — the latter can be obtained for as little as £6.50 per month with a 36-month contract.
It is important to note that this is not an installment plan with a buyout option at the end. Once the rental term ends, the device must be returned or exchanged for a new one under the upgrade program. Raylo clarifies that a purchase option can be discussed separately, but the standard model is specifically rental.
For comparison, Microsoft operates the Xbox All Access program, under which users pay off the cost of the console in installments and ultimately keep it.
If you do the math, renting a PS5 Slim for 36 months at £9.95 per month will cost about £358 — a figure close to the console's retail price, which is often reduced during sales. Therefore, the most sensible option may be short-term rental: for example, getting the console for a month on the flexible plan to play a major exclusive release, and then returning the device without long-term obligations.