The Sony group justifies this price increase by a difficult economic environment which has seen a continuous rise for several months in raw materials, dragging in its wake a now galloping inflation. Sony also mentions unfavorable exchange conditions. In short, a situation directly and essentially linked to the war in Ukraine.
Over to Sony Interactive Entertainment
“Based on these difficult economic conditions, SIE has made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price (RRP) of the PlayStation 5 in certain markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), in Asia-Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), as well as Canada. There will be no price increase in the United Statesâ€. Sony adds that standardizing the supply of PS5 consoles remained their top priority, in this (still) period of component shortages.
PS5 Digital Edition and Standard Edition, the new prices
The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition and Standard Edition released in November 2020 at €400/£450 and €500/£450 respectively in Europe and the United Kingdom, have seen their price increase by €50/£30. The same is true for other regions of the world, except the USA. No doubt Sony wants to preserve the price competitiveness of its PS5 console in a country where the Xbox Series X has historically enjoyed significant commercial success.