Sony Auctions Limited Edition 20th Anniversary PS4 For $128000

Sony has managed to fetch over $128,000 (AUD161,000 approximately) for one of its limited edition 20th Anniversary PlayStation 4 consoles. The winning bid came after 1,585 equally ridiculous bids to snag the first edition of the console. The PS4 put up for auction was the very first of individually-numbered limited edition consoles marked with the serial number 00001.

The Japanese electronics giant had styled the 12,300 limited edition PS4 consoles according to first iteration of the PlayStation console. It marks the 20th anniversary of the wildly popular console series that's currently in its fourth iteration. According to VG247, other numbered copies of limited edition consoles sold for GBP400 (AUD760 approximately). However, only a lucky few collectors managed to snag them before they quickly flew off the shelves. Many of them were subsequently listed on eBay for a premium as ridiculous as GBP2000 (AUD3800 approximately).

The Limited Edition PS4 features the same gray colour scheme of the original PlayStation. The nostalgia and collectability of this edition has kickstarted an active resale market. The lucky ones who got their hands on the limited edition console are now selling it on online auction portals such as eBay for several times the original sticker price. However, according to Daily Tech, the first unit was sold through Yahoo!'s Auctions Japan portal.

The usual practice for console makers is to hold onto the first units of Limited Edition runs as a memento. Sony, however, decided to take a more charitable approach. The auction was arranged by Sony itself and the proceeds were earmarked for "Save the Children Japan" initiative. The non-profit group has been set up to protect destitute/vulnerable children in Japan and enrich their overall quality of living.

Kotaku reports that the PlayStation maker will be matching the whopping $128,000 raised by the console bid and donating the money to the same charity. This is in addition to the original winning bid amount. Sony's remarkably successful endeavour has raised enough money to keep a substantial number of destitute children off the streets of Japan. This philanthropic gesture definitely beats locking away the first unit of the limited edition console at Sony's headquarters.