Sony Doesn’t Want To Raise the Price of the PS5, but They May Not Have a Choice

Well, folks, here we are. On the cusp of potentially having to pay a much more substantial price for a console that came out almost five years ago. Sony’s PS5 is still in the “figuring things out” phase of its lifespan. With the company wanting more people to purchase a PS5, an unfortunate wrinkle has emerged. In the form of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. You see, in a few months’ time, that PlayStation 5 you don’t want to pay $500 for? Well, how about $700? How about $900?

Even the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) laid out the financial burdens consoles like the PS5 could prove to be. “Video games are one of the most popular and beloved forms of entertainment for Americans of all ages. Tariffs on video game devices and related products would negatively impact hundreds of millions of Americans and would harm the industry’s significant contributions to the U.S. economy. We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to find ways to sustain the economic growth supported by our sector,” the company said in a press release.

But, Sony’s trying to draw up a game plan. To avoid having to raise the PS5’s price, Sony is exploring internal strategies to circumvent such outcomes. As reported by Tech4Gamers: “The company will ‘respond flexibly and promptly to changing circumstances‘ to avoid raising PlayStation 5 pricing. Previously, a study by the Consumer Technology Association suggested that Trump tariffs could raise video game console prices by 40%. In other words, the PS5 Pro could go for as much as $700 to $980 if these new strategies fail to work for Sony.”

but–but i don’t want to pay more for the ps5!

As it stands, any PS5 price increases will, in the worst-case scenario, start off relatively minor. But, in a few months, we could be very well looking at a dire situation for gaming consoles across the board. Sure, PCs and PC parts have also ballooned in price recently. However, it’s been proven that gamers are slowly shifting to PCs becoming their definitive gaming platform.

Additionally, one could easily argue that the next few years could be make-or-break for console gaming as we presently know it. The last thing Sony wants for the PS5 is more reasons for people not to buy the console. Unfortunately, we’ll all just have to wait, see, and hope for the best.