PlayStation 5 credits: PlayStation Dualsense controller released on Sergey Galyonkin. Creative Commons
Sony has announced that it will raise the price of its PlayStation 5 consoles in a move that is likely to sigh the masses from gamers in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. why? Well, they’re denounced the OL “global economic turbulence” card.
Apparently, it’s all due to what’s called a “difficult decision,” driven by inflation, wobbling exchange rates and economic environments that are as stable as three-legged chairs on windy days. Prices are rising at least 10%. it hurts.
According to the official PlayStation blog, the recommended retail price for the European PS5 digital edition is heading towards 499 euros. In the UK, it jumps from £389 to £430. This is about 40 pounds or more in the same box, adding existential horror. Australians now have to spit out $749 (up from AU$649) and in New Zealand it costs NZ$859. This is almost as painful as stepping into a LEGO.
Now, some (slightly) good news: the standard PS5 with Blu-ray Drive and the new PS5 Pro with last year’s shiny, new PS5 Pro are still at current prices in Europe and the UK. So there’s no change there for now.
Strangely enough, the United States is spared. Sony obviously doesn’t want to disrupt the biggest console market. Price increases across the pond can hit them with revenue streams. And they’re not trying to ruin that cash cow. Fair play, a bit of a slap for everyone else.
The days when consoles became cheaper over time are gone.
Meanwhile, at Nintendo… chaos
Just as Sony does that, Nintendo has a bit of its own mares. A big-boost Switch 2? delay. Indefinitely. They “value demand” – companies say they “we’re not sure what we’re doing yet.” Pre-orders in the US have been suspended while understanding how tariffs throw spanners on the piece.
Gamers who have been able to take a peek at European prices online will find the console alone for 470 euros and 510 euros if needed along with the new Mario Kart. And speaking of Mario, the new game will retreat a whopping 90 euros for physical copying. Digital version? It’s only 80 euros. At that price, we hope that Mario himself will deliver it to your door.
