Sony Raises PS5 Prices Again Amid Supply Chain Strain
Sony Group is set to increase the prices of its PlayStation 5 console once again, with the new pricing to take effect from 2 April.
Under the revised pricing in the United States, the standard version of the PlayStation 5 will rise by $100 to $649.99. The digital edition will be priced at $599.99, while the high-end PS5 Pro will cost $899.99.
Similarly, the price of the PlayStation Portal remote player will increase from $199.99 to $249.99.
Comparable price hikes will also be implemented in Europe and Japan.
Sony stated that the decision to raise prices was driven by increased cost pressures in the global supply chain and a shortage of memory chips. The surge in competition to build AI infrastructure has led memory manufacturers to prioritize more profitable chips for data centers, resulting in reduced supply for consumer devices.
Analysts believe that this price increase may slow the growth of the video game market. Epic Games has already laid off around 1,000 employees, citing declining console sales. During the October–December holiday season last year, Sony’s PS5 sales fell by 16 percent year-on-year to 8 million units.
It is worth noting that Sony had also increased PS5 prices in the United States by nearly $50 in August last year. Around the same time, Microsoft raised the prices of its Xbox consoles as well.
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