Key Takeaways
- The PlayStation 5's price is going up in Japan due to global economic challenges, impacting both physical and digital versions.
- Despite high demand, the PS5 continues to see price increases, with Japanese customers facing more significant costs.
- Sony cites a challenging external environment and global economic fluctuations as reasons behind the latest price increase.
The PlayStation 5 is getting another price increase, though this time only in Japan. Sony’s latest gaming console has been fluctuating in price ever since it first launched in 2020, with some territories offering it at higher or lower costs than others. A variety of factors play into these price changes, including production costs and the impact of major events like the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability to make and distribute the PlayStation 5.
Back in 2022, Sony announced that it would be raising the price of the PlayStation 5 in Canada, Mexico, Europe, the UK, Australia, China, and Japan due to global inflation and high demand for the parts necessary to build the already expensive console. However, this price hike didn’t impact demand for the PS5, which managed to outsell the Xbox Series X/S roughly two-to-one and move 50 million units worldwide last year.
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Unfortunately, it seems that the PlayStation 5 will be getting another price increase in Japan, as reported by the Japanese version of PlayStation Blog (via ComicBook). Sony announced that it will be increasing the cost of both the physical and digital versions of the PS5 console by 13,000 Yen (about $90). As a result, the physical PS5 will now cost ¥79,980 (roughly $555.44), while the disk drive-free digital edition PlayStation 5 will be sold at ¥72,980 (about $506.82). Sony stated that this price increase is the result of "the recent challenging external environment, including the current fluctuations in the global economic situation, and the impact it will have on our business."
The Price of the PlayStation 5 is Going Up in Japan
So far, there isn’t word on any PlayStation 5 price hikes in other regions, with some of them actually seeing hefty PS5 discounts earlier this year. Nonetheless, many are surprised to see the cost of the console continue to go up in certain parts of the world, given that past PlayStation consoles have typically gone down in price at this point in their lifespans. A few months ago, Sony CFO Hiroki Totoki stated that a permanent price cut would be difficult due to the challenges of shrinking the console’s die size, which usually helps lower hardware costs.
On the contrary, the PlayStation 5 is still getting more expensive in certain parts of the world, as evidenced by the system's most recent price hike in Japan. Only time will tell if or when the prices will go back down, but for the time being, picking up a PlayStation 5 is going to cost the average Japanese customer a significant amount of Yen.
PlayStation 5
Sony's PlayStation 5 is part of the ninth console generation and debuted with a launch lineup that included Demon's Souls and Astro's Playroom. The console comes with a Blu-ray disc, although a digital-only edition is also available for a cheaper price.
