Sony announced that it is increasing the price of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, starting April 14, 2025.
With the global economic impacts due to international trade wars, the video game market is hit again. Sony announced that it is increasing the price of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, starting April 14, 2025 (today). The modest price increase will affect both digital-only and disc-based consoles. The PlayStation company says in the blog post their decision to raise prices is a “tough decision” due to a “challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.”
So far, other regions do not appear to be in Sony’s crosshairs for console price raises. The United States and Canada have already been excluded from Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders, following the U.S. tariffs. However, the U.S. tariffs are currently on hold for 90 days, recently changing some stipulations on getting a Nintendo Switch 2 in North America. Sony did not include any changes for North America. Here is a look at the new PS5 prices in the four regions Sony highlights today:
- Europe:
- PS5 Digital Edition €499.99 (No pricing changes for the standard PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive) – an increase of €50
- United Kingdom:
- £429.99 (No pricing changes for the standard PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive) – an increase of £40
- Australia:
- PS5 Standard (Physical) Edition – AUD $829.95 (up from $799.95, and $749.95 before that)
- PS5 Digital Edition – AUD $749.95 (up from $649.95, and $599.95 before that)
- New Zealand:
- PS5 Standard (Physical) Edition – NZD $949.95
- PS5 Digital Edition – NZD $859.95
The announced price hike already has major blowback from PlayStation fans. Based on current exchange rates, the prices increased by about $50 USD for the Digital Edition PS5 and about $20 USD for the Standard Edition. Internet denizens remember the price rise in late 2022 in these regions, and in Australia, PlayStation Plus subscriptions increased by a few dollars each month just days ago.
The cost of the PS5 Pro will remain the same. And Sony is also lowering the price of the PS5 Disc Drive slightly. It is unclear why this price cut happened, potentially there is a surplus of those lying around the warehouse. Here is what the new prices for the PS5 Disc Drives are:
- Europe: €79.99
- United Kingdom: £69.99
- Australia: AUD $124.95
- New Zealand: NZD $139.95
Sony also mentioned the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) will also see “recommended retail prices (RRP)” too. However, there are not any explicit price changes for these two regions. As global economies react to the current trade wars and sporadic tariffs, fans are deeply saddened to see how the video game industry is getting affected. Gaming market trends are expected to change in the next couple of years, and many industry experts are suggesting how video game developers will also have to react to these new market trends.
