Sony has announced that it will be increasing the price of its in-house consoles. As early as the beginning of April, prospective buyers can expect potentially painful upward adjustments.
The company published the unpleasant information from a player’s perspective on Friday on the PlayStation.blog. Isabelle Tomatis, Vice President Global Marketing, said: “We recognize that price changes have an impact on our community, but after careful consideration, we have come to the conclusion that this is a necessary step to ensure that we can continue to deliver innovative and high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide.”
Specifically, Sony is adding 100 euros to all versions of the PlayStation 5. The recommended retail price (RRP) of the Digital Edition will therefore rise from 499.99 euros to 599.99 euros. A version with a drive will cost 649.99 euros instead of 549.99 euros.
A PlayStation 5 Pro is even getting dangerously close to the €1,000 mark: Sony will be asking €899.99 for the most powerful console currently available. Previously, it was priced at 799.99 euros.
There is also a surcharge for one peripheral item. The PlayStation Portal – previously priced at 219.99 euros – will be available for 249.99 euros from April 2. On the same day, the tightened prices for the various versions of the PlayStation 5 are also to take effect: “The updated recommended retail prices for PS5 consoles will apply from April 2, 2026.”
Sony points to “ongoing challenges”
According to Tomatis, Sony had to react to the current global situation with the adjustment. “In light of the ongoing challenges in the global economic environment, we have decided to raise prices for PS5, PS5 Pro and the PlayStation Portal Remote Player worldwide,” she said, explaining the unwelcome move, which had recently been speculated about for Nintendo and the Switch 2.
Sony now seems to have been caught out. This is the third time in just a few weeks that the Japanese company has faced resistance from the community. Previously, the PlayStation developer had already got itself into hot water with a test on dynamic pricing and a console rental offer. For eSports, an expression of larger problems in the gaming cosmos.
