Sony fans are about to feel a hit in their wallets. The company announced Wednesday that the price of every PlayStation 5 model in the U.S. will go up by $50 starting Thursday.
Why it matters
The increase highlights how businesses are struggling under tariffs from former President Donald Trump’s trade war. Many companies are either raising prices now—or warning that hikes are on the way.
What Sony is saying
“Like many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment,” Sony explained in a blog post. “As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. starting on August 21.”
The good news for gamers: accessory prices won’t change.
The new prices
Here’s what the updated U.S. price tags look like:
- PlayStation 5 – $549.99
- PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – $499.99
- PlayStation 5 Pro – $749.99
A pattern of price hikes
This move didn’t come out of nowhere.
- Back in May, Sony said it was considering raising prices because of tariffs.
- In April, the company already bumped PS5 prices in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand by 10–15%.
- Rival Microsoft raised Xbox prices in the U.S. earlier this year by $80–$100.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and China recently extended their tariff truce by 90 days, keeping tariffs at 30% instead of 145% and reopening the flow of rare earth minerals that are critical for tech manufacturing.
