Sony is increasing the price of the PlayStation 5 in several regions including the UK, citing “a challenging economic environment”.
As a result, Brits will have to fork out £429.99 for the PS5 Digital Edition, a 10 per cent jump from its original price of £389.99.
The console, which can only play games purchased online, is the cheapest way to bag a PS5, and is still available for as low as £329 from the EE Store.
Now in its fifth year, and with a successor expected by 2027, the PS5’s price has zigzagged rather than followed the usual downward trend. In 2022, Sony raised prices by as much as 20 per cent in most regions — with the US remaining the only market to dodge the increases.
To soften the blow, Sony is dropping the price of the PS5 Disc Drive, an add-on that lets you play discs on the Digital Edition, to £69.99 from £99.99 previously. The peripheral has faced stock shortages since the launch of the souped-up PS5 Pro last October.
As for the Pro itself, its £700 price tag isn’t budging — which, given the eye-watering cost, is probably just as well.
While the price of the standard PS5 remains unchanged in the UK, gamers elsewhere aren’t so lucky.
In Australia, the console has climbed to AUD $829.95 (£399), while the Digital Edition now costs AUD $749.95 (£361). Over in New Zealand, they will set buyers back NZD $949.95 (£424) and NZD $859.95 (£384), respectively.
Sony has attributed the increases to “high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates”.
Already an expensive hobby, the PS5 price hike is the latest sign that gaming is about to get even pricier.
Driven by a perfect storm of rising costs, from US-imposed global tariffs and stubborn inflation to an industry-wide push for bigger profits, prices are rising across the board.
Last week, Sony upped the cost of its gaming subscription service, PlayStation Plus, in more than 20 countries (barring the UK).
Fellow Japanese gaming giant Nintendo is also tightening the screws. Mario fans were left reeling last week when the company announced the UK price for its upcoming Switch 2: £395.99 for the console alone, or £429.99 with Mario Kart World — a steep jump from the original Switch's £280 launch price.
But the real sticker shock has been the cost of games themselves. Mario Kart World will set players back £74.99 for a boxed copy, or £66.99 digitally - a hefty hike from the £49.99 typical of most new Switch releases.
Meanwhile, analysts are predicting that GTA 6 could cost a whopping £90 in the UK, whereas new PS5 and Xbox Series titles currently cost £70.
