Sony has announced that starting on August 21, the price of all PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. will go up. Like so many other global companies dealing with today’s economy, Sony says this decision wasn’t an easy one, but it had to be made.
Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment. As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. starting on August 21.
Here’s what the new pricing looks like:
- PlayStation 5 – $549.99
- PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – $499.99
- PlayStation 5 Pro – $749.99
This is an extra $50 to the price of the consoles. Now, you can argue that it’s just $50, but considering that this is on a console that was released in 2020. We’re paying more for older hardware when it should be the reverse.
However, no changes are being made to the price of accessories, and Sony also mentioned that, for now, no other regions will be affected.
Even though Sony didn’t outright say it, these price hikes likely have a lot to do with the tariffs recently put in place by the President of the United States. Those trade measures have already impacted plenty of other electronics, so it isn’t a stretch to see the PlayStation 5 being caught up in it as well. We expected this and said that this would happen a month ago.
This also makes PlayStation the last of the three major platforms to raise its prices. Microsoft already raised the cost of the Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo followed with the Switch, and now Sony has officially joined them. That means no matter which platform you play on, you’re paying more than you did before.
For players, it’s another reminder of how much the industry is being shaped by bigger economic factors outside of gaming. And with the PlayStation 5 Pro now sitting at $749.99, that’s one of the highest console prices we’ve seen yet.
So, if you’re planning on picking up a PlayStation 5, then today would be the best time to do so, before these price increases are put into effect.
At the very least, we can expect the Switch 2 to remain at the same price. Right?
