Sony has raised the retail price of the PlayStation 5 in the United States for the first time since the Trump administration announced widespread trade tariffs earlier this year. Sony said that starting August 21, the price of the physical and digital versions of PS5 and PS5 Pro will increase by $50 in the country. However, the prices of PS5 accessories will remain unchanged. PlayStation’s parent company cited “challenging economic conditions” as the reason for the price increase.
PS5 price rises in the US
Sony announced in a PlayStation blog post on Wednesday that the price of the standard physical version of the PS5 will rise from $499.99 to $549.99, calling the price increase a “difficult decision.” The PS5 Digital Edition is now priced at $449.99, rising to $499.99. PS5 Pro price also increased by $50, from $699.99 to $749.99
Sony said there will be no changes to PS5 prices in other markets, and prices for PS5 accessories in the United States will also remain unchanged.
In April, Sony raised PS5 prices in select markets such as the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Australia and New Zealand, and did not increase the price of the current generation console in the US, citing a “challenging economic environment”. The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed widespread tariffs on imports from the country.
Game console prices rise
Prices for video game consoles have been rising since the Trump administration announced tariffs in April. In May of this year, Microsoft announced that it would increase the price of Xbox game consoles and accessories, citing “market conditions and rising development costs.” The company also said it would increase the price of some first-party games from $70 to $80 starting this holiday season, but later walked back that decision.
Earlier this month, Nintendo also raised the prices of the Nintendo Switch and some Switch and Switch 2 accessories in the United States, citing “market conditions.” The price increase affects the entire line of first-generation Switch devices, including the original Switch, Switch Lite, and OLED models. However, Nintendo has not raised the price of the newly released Switch 2.
Despite rising prices and a lack of new triple-A first-party games, PS5 sales continue to be strong in its fifth year. Sony said it sold 18.5 million PS5 units in fiscal 2024, which ends in March 2025.
