Sony has announced a price increase for PlayStation 5 consoles in the United States, effective Thursday, August 21. The company cited a challenging economic environment, which appears to reference new tariffs on imported products. As a result, console prices will rise by approximately fifty dollars.
The standard PlayStation 5 will now cost $549.99. The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition will increase to $499.99, and the PlayStation 5 Pro will be priced at $749.99. This move follows a White House announcement from July 31 that instituted a 15% tariff on goods from Japan.
Sony stated it has no current plans to change prices in other countries or to increase the cost of accessories. However, the company had already raised prices for PlayStation consoles sold in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand back in April, citing similar economic challenges. While some regions saw price hikes in 2022 due to inflation, the U.S. market was unaffected at that time.
Other gaming companies are also adjusting their pricing. Microsoft indicated in May that it would raise console prices by eighty to one hundred dollars, along with increases for some games, controllers, and accessories. Nintendo chose to raise the prices of some accessories for its new console but has not increased the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 console itself.