Sony increases PS5 prices in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand

Sony has increased the prices for the PS5 and its external disc drives effective immediately, citing “a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.” 

In Europe, the PS5 Digital Edition’s recommended retail price is now €499.99 EUR (€79.99 for the disc drive) with the standard edition of the PS5 remaining unaffected. Things look similar in the UK, where the PS5 Digital Edition goes up to £429.99 GBP (£69.99 for the disc drive).

In Australia and New Zealand, both versions of the PS5 have become more expensive. People in Australia are looking at $829.95 AUD for a vanilla PS5 and $749.95 AUD for a Digital Edition, while New Zealanders have to swallow an increase to $949.95 NZD and $859.95 NZD. As for the disc drives, they are now priced at $124.95 AUD and $139.95 NZD, respectively.

Unaffected by this whole affair is the PS5 Pro, which remains at its previous recommended retail prices in each region.

Historically, console prices have decreased over the course of a generation’s lifecycle, but things have been very different for the PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S, which have had their prices go up instead of down. 

Factors influencing this change of direction include the instability of the global economy, which Sony cited specifically for this latest raise, and the fact the components used to manufacture the consoles simply aren’t falling in price, as they’ve done in previous generations. Consoles are usually sold with thin margins, sometimes at a loss, even in much more stable scenarios, so a challenging situation necessitates price increases, no matter how bad it may look to the fans.

Sony is also in an increasingly dominant position compared to its rival Microsoft, giving it more room to dictate prices without having to fear that it benefits the competition. This is especially true for Europe and the UK, where the expected release of GTA 6 in 2025 will be a major system seller.