Sony has announced a £90/$100 increase in the price of PlayStation 5 hardware, citing severe “pressures in the global economic landscape”.
The price hikes, set to take effect on 2 April, will impact the entire current PlayStation lineup, including the standard PS5, the PS5 Digital Edition, the high-end PS5 Pro, and the PlayStation Portal handheld device.
In a statement, the gaming giant defended the move as “a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide.”
The standard PlayStation 5 will see its recommended retail price climb to £569.99 in the UK—a 19% increase. Those opting for the disc-free PS5 Digital Edition will face an even steeper percentage jump of 21%, with the price rising to £519.99.
The premium PS5 Pro, already Sony’s most expensive console, will increase by 13% to a new RRP of £789.99. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Portal handheld will see a more modest £20 increase, bringing its cost to £219.99.
This marks the second time in less than a year that Sony has adjusted its pricing; the company previously hiked the price of the Digital Edition by £40, citing “challenging” market conditions.
Industry experts suggest that the price hike is largely a result of the global explosion in Artificial Intelligence. Piers Harding-Rolls, a gaming analyst at Ampere Analysis, told the BBC that a “supply chain shock” is currently driving up the cost of essential components.
Specifically, the prices for random access memory (RAM) and storage – both critical to console manufacturing – have soared. These components are being diverted in massive quantities to build the data centres and AI infrastructure required by tech giants worldwide.
“With no sign of prices easing largely due to demand for AI infrastructure, Sony will have made the move to protect its slim hardware margins,” Harding-Rolls noted.
The move leaves PlayStation in a significantly higher price bracket than its direct rivals, but analysts warn that the reprieve for consumers may be short-lived. Harding-Rolls suggested that the supply chain pressures affecting Sony are universal, adding: “It wouldn’t be a surprise if Microsoft and Nintendo followed suit in the not-too-distant future.”
As of now, neither Microsoft (Xbox) nor Nintendo has announced plans to increase the RRP of their respective consoles, though the industry will be watching closely as the 2 April deadline approaches.