Image credit: Sony / PlayStation
Sony has announced that PS5 prices will increase worldwide from April 2, 2026. The decision impacts not only the base console but also the PS5 Pro and PlayStation Portal.
The PlayStation Blog post confirms that Sony will raise PS5 prices due to “continued pressures in the global economic landscape”. Vice President of Global Marketing for Sony Interactive Entertainment, Isabelle Tomatis, stated:
We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide.
Specifically, the PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal will all see price increases in the US, UK, Europe, and Japan. That means there are only a few crucial days left to secure a system of your choice at the previous MSRP before the sticker price jumps considerably.
Sony has outlined the proposed new PS5 prices, which will be effective from April 2, 2026:
New US PS5 prices
- PS5 – $649.99
- PS5 Digital Edition – $599.99
- PS5 Pro – $899.99
New UK PS5 prices
- PS5 – £569.99
- PS5 Digital Edition – £519.99
- PS5 Pro – £789.99
New European PS5 prices
- PS5 – €649.99
- PS5 Digital Edition – €599.99
- PS5 Pro – €899.99
New Japan PS5 prices
- PS5 – ¥97,980
- PS5 Digital Edition – ¥89,980
- PS5 Pro – ¥137,980
Price gouging for a disappointing console generation
The PS5 price increases are indicative of the terrible time our industry is going through right now, and it’s not an isolated incident. The RAM crisis has meant that the likes of Valve have had its plans for the Steam Machine launch pushed back, and now even machines that are nearly seven years old are directly impacted, too.
Usually, by the end of a console generation, hardware and software get cheaper, but the PS5 marks a rare time when consumers are paying up to 30% more just because they waited too long to pull the trigger. We’re firmly into the sixth year of the PS5’s market availability, and if you didn’t buy one yet, a price hike certainly won’t be the thing to convince you.
We’re living through turbulent times. Layoffs are common in our business, the price of living is shooting up massively, and now video game consoles are becoming far pricier as a consequence. It makes me remember covering the PS5’s launch all those years ago: the semiconductor shortage, spurred by the pandemic, meant they were gold dust to find at MSRP, but this is worse. You can find one, you’re just paying grossly over the odds to do so.
It’s particularly cutting news given how Sony has treated not only consumers, but also its studios in recent months. The closure of Bluepoint Games still stings, as does the rumor that the company allegedly won’t be bringing over its games to PC anymore. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, and it turns out the games industry is suffering more than we thought.
What are we left with in 2026? A reality where a PS5 Pro console will cost you an eye-watering $899.99 / £789.99 / €899.99 / ¥137,980 just to get a better experience to play the handful of PS5 exclusive games actually out on the market. If this is indicative of what’s to come with the PS6 in the next couple of years, then the future looks truly bleak.
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