Sony has raised the price of most of its PlayStation 5 console hardware in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand by 10-15 percent, blaming “a challenging economic environment.” With rising US import costs thanks to tariffs likely a contributing factor, an equivalent price rise in the US is probably on the way.
Sony manufactures the majority of its PlayStation 5 hardware in China, now subject to 145 percent tariffs on imports into the US, and game consoles aren’t included in the pause on some tech tariffs announced Friday. A price increase in other markets may be a way of limiting how sharply prices will need to rise in the US, which is a key market for Sony.
The Digital Edition of the PS5 is the main target for price increases, rising in all four markets, while the standard version — which includes a disc drive — is only going up in Australia and New Zealand, and not by as much. Across all four markets, the PlayStation 5 Pro is remaining the same price. Sony is also slightly decreasing the price of its add-on disc drive accessory.
Sony’s blog post announcing the change blamed it on “high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates,” though made no mention of Trump’s tariffs or increased import costs into the US, where prices are remaining the same — for now. Analyst Serkan Toto told CNBC that he “would be very surprised if Sony was able to keep the PlayStation prices in the US stable,” calling now “the ‘right’ time” for the company to raise prices.
This is the second time Sony has hiked up the price of a PS5 in most of these markets, after doing the same in August 2022. That time Sony similarly blamed “high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends,” but specifically noted that it wouldn’t raise prices in the US. There’s no such confirmation this time around.
Nintendo still hasn’t opened American and Canadian preorders for its Switch 2 console, amid fears it too will soon announce a price increase.
Here are the new PS5 prices:
Europe:
PS5 Digital Edition – €499.99 (€449.99 before)
UK:
PS5 Digital Edition – £429.99 (£389.99 before)
Australia:
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – AUD $829.95 (AUD $799.95 before)
PS5 Digital Edition – AUD $749.95 (AUD $649.95 before)
New Zealand:
PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – NZD $949.95 (NZD $899.95 before)
PS5 Digital Edition – NZD $859.95 (NZD $769.96 before)
Here are the new Disc Drive for PS5 prices:
Europe – €79.99 (€119.99 before)
UK – £69.99 (£99.99 before)
Australia – AUD $124.95 (AUD $159.95 before)
New Zealand – NZD $139.95 (NZD $169.95 before)
