PlayStation 5 Gets Steep Price Hike in Japan, Sony Confirms

The PlayStation 5 is getting a steep price hike in Japan to the tune of ¥13,000 (around $90), Sony has confirmed.

As reported by VGC, the Japanese PlayStation Blog confirmed the price increase from ¥66,980 (around $462) to ¥79,980 (around $552) for the standard PS5 and from ¥59,980 (around $414) to ¥72,980 (around $504) for the digital-only console.

The changes go into effect starting September 2 and also affect accessories. DualSense controllers are increasing from the equivalent of around $65 to $80, and the PlayStation Portal is increasing from around $205 to $240.

The price hike is a result of “recent challenging external environment, including the current fluctuations in the global economic situation, and the impact it will have on our business,” Sony said. There’s no word on this price increase hitting other regions.

It’s the latest price hike for the PS5, which has, unusually, gone up in price since launching in 2020. It’s a similar situation for Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and S.

The PlayStation 5 is still selling well with 61.7 million units sold as of August 2024 but Sony revealed sales were down compared to 2023. The decline was somewhat expected, however, as Sony lowered its overall PS5 sales target for this financial year to 18 million units from the 21 million units it targeted last year.

This itself was down from an initial target of 25 million units sold, but Sony ultimately failed to accomplish either as it ended the year on 20.8 million. This was still a PS5 sales record though.

Many will point to the lack of PS5 exclusives as a potential reason for hardware sales declining, and Sony has already indicated no new games from its major franchises will be released this financial year. That means no Spider-Man, God of War, The Last of Us, Ratchet and Clank, Horizon, Ghost of Tsushima, or whatever else.

Sony is heavily rumored to be ready to launch a PS5 Pro later in 2024.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

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