The PlayStation Dualsense controller, released with the PlayStation 5
Credit: Sergey Galyonkin. Creative Commons
In a move that’s likely to cause a collective sigh from gamers across Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Sony has announced it’ll be bumping up the price of some PlayStation 5 consoles. Why? Well, they’re blaming the ol’ “global economic turbulence” card.
Apparently, it’s all due to what they’ve called a “difficult decision” driven by – you guessed it – inflation, wobbly exchange rates, and an economic environment that’s about as stable as a three-legged chair on a windy day. Prices are going up by at least 10%. Ouch.
According to the official PlayStation blog, the recommended retail price for the PS5 Digital Edition in Europe is heading to €499. Over in the UK, it’s jumping from £389 to £430 – that’s roughly £40 more for the same box, just with added existential dread. Australians will now have to cough up AU$749 (up from AU$649), and in New Zealand, it’s NZ$859 – which is almost as painful as stepping on a LEGO.
Now, some (slightly) good news: the standard PS5 with the Blu-ray drive and last year’s shiny new PS5 Pro are staying at their current prices in Europe and the UK. So, no changes there – for now.
Curiously, the US has been spared. Sony clearly doesn’t want to upset its biggest console market. A price hike across the pond could hit them right in the revenue stream – and they’re not about to mess with that cash cow. Fair play, though a bit of a slap in the face for everyone else.
Gone are the days when consoles got cheaper over time.
Meanwhile, over at Nintendo… Chaos
As Sony does its thing, Nintendo’s been having a bit of a mare of its own. The much-hyped Switch 2? Delayed. Indefinitely. They’re “evaluating demand” – corporate speak for “we’re not quite sure what we’re doing yet.” Pre-orders in the US have been suspended while they figure out how tariffs are throwing a spanner in the works.
Gamers who managed to sneak a peek at the European pricing online weren’t exactly thrilled either: €470 for the console alone, and €510 if you want it with the new Mario Kart. And speaking of Mario – the new game will set you back a whopping €90 for a physical copy. Digital version? Still €80. For that price, you’d hope Mario himself would deliver it to your door.
