Sony increases the price of the PS5 in Europe and Oceania again, while the disc accessory has a slight decrease

Sony decided to start April with some bitter news for European and Oceanian consumers: another price increase on the PlayStation 5, specifically on the digital edition of the console. The announcement was discreetly made in the early hours of the day through an official post on the company's blog, justifying the measure with a familiar speech: "a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and currency fluctuations".

From now on, the PS5 Digital Edition will cost £430 in the United Kingdom and €500 in continental Europe, a jump of £40/€50 compared to the previous price of £390/€450. This is the second increase since the console's launch, which originally hit the market for £360/€400. In absolute terms, the digital model is now £70 or €100 more expensive than at its debut in November 2020.

And it's not just in Europe that prices have gone up. In Australia, the PS5 Digital Edition now costs AU$750 and the disc model jumps to AU$830. In New Zealand, the prices rise to NZ$860 (digital) and NZ$950 (with disc). In all these regions, the console has become considerably more expensive for the average player.

Interestingly, no adjustment was made to the PS5 with disc drive in Europe, nor to the anticipated PS5 Pro, which hasn't even had a confirmed release yet. There was also no mention of increases in the United States, at least for now.

But not all news is bad (or almost). In an attempt to soften the blow, Sony slightly reduced the price of the disc drive accessory, which now costs £70/€80, a subtle drop, but perhaps useful for those who already own the Digital Edition and want to upgrade. The implicit justification? Probably an excess of unsold stock in the warehouses.

This move ends up putting the PS5 Digital Edition at the same price point as the Nintendo Switch 2 with the Mario Kart World bundle, announced for £430. And in a curious move by retailers, some stores still offer promotions that challenge Sony's price increase. For example, Argos continues to offer the PS5 bundle with Astro Bot and disc drive for £430, while EE offers the digital edition with Astro Bot for only £329, that is, £100 less than the new suggested price.

If the increases of 2022 caused controversy, those now reignite the debate: what is the true price limit for a console in a saturated market with so much competition? While Microsoft promotes competitive packages with the Xbox Series X and Game Pass, and Nintendo prepares for the arrival of new hardware, Sony relies on the weight of its brand – and the loyalty of its audience – to justify yet another price hike.

It remains to be seen if players will continue to open their wallets, especially in the face of more attractive alternative promotions in retail stores. With such a volatile economic scenario, every increase counts – and the consumer is more attentive than ever.