GAMERS will now have to pay more for a beloved console as a popular company hikes prices.
The move comes as retailers and businesses nationwide continue to adjust amid economic uncertainty this year.
The PlayStation 5 is now $50 more expensive for US gamers (stock image)[/caption]
For US consumers, Sony’s PlayStation 5 (PS5) now has a $50 increase as of August 21, per GameSpot.
Sony confirmed in a statement that it’s continuing to “navigate a challenging economic environment” and is passing costs on.
Instead of $500 for the PS5 Slim, it will now cost gamers $550, for example.
The PS5 Slim Digital is also $500, up from $450, and the PS5 Pro is $750, up from $700.
Except, PS5 accessories will not have an increase in price, according to Sony.
That means everything from controllers to headsets and charging stations will not be subject to the bump.
Sony also emphasized that the price hikes are only for the US market, and other international markets saw increases earlier in 2025.
Analysts like Daniel Ahmad have claimed in a post on X that Sony is moving away from manufacturing in China amid President Donald Trump’s global reciprocal tariffs.
Either way, Sony faces significant tariffs in all the countries where the PS5 is produced, including China at 30%, Japan at 15%, Vietnam at 20%, and Malaysia at 19%.
XBOX WOES
Sony isn’t alone in this move, either, as Microsoft recently confirmed price hikes for Xbox consoles in May.
Unlike for Sony, this also applied to games and select accessories.
The Xbox Series X saw a whopping $100 uptick to $600 from $500 and certain first-party games are set to be $80 this holiday season.
Other consoles, including the Xbox Series S (512GB) went up to $380 from $300.
“We understand that these changes are challenging, and they were made with careful consideration given market conditions and the rising cost of development,” read the Xbox support page at the time.
PlayStation 5 Price Increases
Sony has confirmed price increases for Playstation 5 consoles as of August 21. Each is listed below:
- PS5 Slim – $550, up from $500
- PS5 Slim Digital – $500, up from $450
- PS5 Pro – $750, up from $700
“Looking ahead, we continue to focus on offering more ways to play more games across any screen and ensuring value for Xbox players.”
NINTENDO JOINS
Nintendo also started a price increase for the original Switch “family of systems and products” effective August 3.
The iconic game company said it made the move “based on market conditions” and that the original Switch, Switch Lite, OLED models, and almost all Switch accessories were affected.
Before the effective date, the original Switch was listed on Nintendo’s website for $299.99.
It’s now $339.99, meaning the increase was about $40 across the board.
Except the brand-new Switch 2, released in June, was not subject to the price increases, along with its digital and physical games.
Nintendo still warned that “price adjustments may be necessary in the future.”
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