Sony has announced a significant price increase for its PlayStation 5 consoles in the United States, raising the price of all models by $50, effective August 21. With this change, the PlayStation 5 will cost $549.99, the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition will be $499.99, and the PlayStation 5 Pro will sell for $749.99. According to the company, the increase is due to new US tariffs on imports (especially from countries like China and Japan), which have raised production and supply chain costs. Notably, this move comes as competitors like Xbox have also increased the prices of their consoles and accessories in response to rising costs.
It is important to note that this US price adjustment comes after the company implemented increases in other regions earlier this year (2025). Acutally in Europe, the PS5 without a disc drive rose by 11%, reaching €499.99, while the standard console’s price also saw an increase due to inflation and fluctuating currency exchange rates. In the UK, prices went up by 10%, with the standard model now costing £429.99. At the same time, Japan experienced a 20% increase for PS5 models starting September 2024, setting the standard console at ¥79,980 (~ $551) and the digital-only edition at ¥72,980.
Actually, the firm cites ongoing economic challenges, including inflation, fluctuating exchange rates, and global market uncertainty, as the reasons for its recent price adjustments. However, despite the price increases, Sony has maintained its global PS5 sales forecast for the current financial year at 18 million units, which is slightly lower than the previous year’s 20.8 million units.
The development comes at a time when the Japanese multinational conglomerate is also joining the ongoing AI race worldwide, but in its own way. The company is reportedly developing AI-powered versions of PlayStation characters, like Aloy from Horizon Forbidden West, allowing them to engage in real-time conversations with players during gameplay. This technology leverages AI models like GPT-4 and Llama 3 for decision-making and dialogue, OpenAI’s Whisper for speech-to-text, and Sony’s own Emotional Voice Synthesis (EVS) and Mockingbird technologies for speech generation and facial animations.
Earlier, Sony filed patents for AI assistants capable of emulating the communication styles of popular PlayStation characters, offering in-game guidance and assistance. Such moves become significant considering AI in the gaming market is projected to reach over $27.5 billion by 2029, growing at a 42.3% CAGR. Also, as per a survey by A16Z Games, around 73% of game studios have already started using AI in the form of various tools and features.