It’s been frustratingly difficult for many people to get their hands on aPlayStation 5or Xbox Series X since the new console generation kicked off in November 2020. This was attributed largely to an ongoing globalcomputer chip shortage that is expected to last into 2024, according to Intel. Despite this, at least the Xbox Series X seems to have become slightly more accessible, with people on social media sharing purchases made from random finds in brick-and-mortar stores.
In tandem with the perceptible increase in availability of the now current-gen consoles, there were also recently rumors thatPS5 prices would increase which Sony refused to comment on. Now that rumor has been confirmed as fact by the company in an announcement post on its official blog. These price increases will take place immediately, except in Japan where they go into effect on July 31, 2025. It’s not clear how quickly storefronts will react to the change.
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The recommended retail price for thePlayStation 5will be increased in Europe, the UK, Canada, Japan, China, Australia, and Mexico. At this time, there will not be a price increase in the United States, though that doesn’t guarantee there won’t be one in the future. According to the blog post, Sony is adjusting PS5 prices due to general inflation, which is taking place globally since the coronavirus pandemic negatively impacted economies beginning in 2020. The company also cited “adverse currency trends” as a reason.
The new manufacturer recommended retail prices for the PS5 are listed here.
In general, these price increases may not seem significantly substantial, depending on who is asked. For example, in the UK, the disc drive model of the PS5 could previously be purchased for £449.99. After the price adjustment, that number has jumped to £479.99. In Europe, there is a €50 difference, and the adjustments are in similar increments of about 10% in the other markets.
An increase in PS5 prices will clearly mostly affect those who have already been frustrated in their attempts to purchase the high-demand console for nearly two years now. And despite appearances, as stated before, thechip shortage is not expected to end any time soon.
This adjustment in the recommended retail price for the PS5 may have gamers worried about theprice tag of the PS5 DualSense Edge controller, which was announced on August 23 during Gamescom 2022. From the looks of it, the new peripheral is intended to rival the Xbox Elite controller, which retails for $179.99. However, observers have pointed out that the DualSense Edge will be lacking a few of the features of Microsoft’s controller and perhaps should therefore have a lower price.
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