Major price hikes for PlayStation 5 as Trump tariffs hit ‘gamers’
This general view shows the logo for Japanese company Sony outside the company's headquarters building in central Tokyo on November 27, 2024. - December 3, 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the first release of Japan's Sony PlayStation, transforming the world of video games. (AFP Photo)
U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs hit the gaming sector hard as major players started to announce price hikes for their main products.
Japan’s tech giant Sony said it has hiked the price of some PlayStation 5 consoles in select markets, but not the United States, because of “challenging” global economic conditions. Sony’s avoidance of the U.S. market is worth noting as Japan aims to prevent U.S. tariffs from officially taking place.
The price of the PS5 digital edition, which has no disk drive, will rise by more than 10% in Europe, Britain, and Australia, the company told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday.
The company said on Sunday in a blog post the “tough decision” had been taken “with a backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.”
Price hike for PlayStation 5 came after Trump’s tariffs
It comes after Trump’s sweeping, on-and-off tariffs have roiled global markets and sparked a tit-for-tat trade war with China, raising fears of a wider economic slowdown.
New Zealand customers will see the PS5 digital edition’s price go up, the blog post said.
The price of a standard PS5 with a Blu-ray drive will also rise in Australia and New Zealand, it added.
The company said there would be some price rises in the Middle East and Africa region, without giving details.
However, it said the recommended price for the PS5 disk drive on its own would decrease.
All the price tweaks are effective from Monday, Sony said, adding that the cost would not change for the higher-priced, higher-spec PS5 Pro console, which hit shelves in November.
With the PlayStation 5 having been released in 2020, the Pro version integrated improvements that allow games to run faster and with better graphics.
In Europe, the PS5 digital edition will now cost €499.99 ($570.04), PlayStation said, while in Britain its price will be £429.99 ($566.53).
