Today Sony Interactive Entertainment announced a rather sharp price hike for the whole PS5 line of consoles and accessories in Japan.
According to the announcement, starting on September 2, the suggested retail price of a PS5 console will become 79,980 yen including tax. This is a harsh hike compared to the current 66,980 yen and translates into approximately $555 at the current exchange rate.
The Digital Edition will be priced at 72,980 yen, which translates to approximately $507. That’s considerably higher than the current 59,980 yen price.
The hikes extend to the console’s accessories and even to the old dear DualShock 4, which will go up from the current 6,570 yen to 7,980 yen.
The newer DualSense controller doesn’t fare any better. It’s currently priced at 9,480 yen, but on September 2 it’ll shoot past the 10,000 yen wall, reaching a whopping 11,480 yen ($80)
Here’s the full table with the new prices.
| name | Suggested retail price (tax included) |
|---|---|
| PlayStation®5 | ¥79,980 |
| PlayStation®5 Digital Edition | ¥72,980 |
| PlayStation®5 DualSense® Wireless Controller Double Pack | ¥89,980 |
| PlayStation®5 Digital Edition DualSense® Double Pack | ¥82,980 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller | ¥11,480 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller Midnight Black | ¥11,480 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller Cosmic Red | ¥11,480 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller Nova Pink | ¥11,480 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller Galactic Purple | ¥11,480 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller Starlight Blue | ¥11,480 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller Grey Camouflage | ¥11,480 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller Volcanic Red | ¥11,980 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller Sterling Silver | ¥11,980 |
| DualSense® Wireless Controller Cobalt Blue | ¥11,980 |
| Wireless Controller (DUALSHOCK 4) Jet Black | ¥7,980 |
| PlayStation Portal™ Remote Player | ¥34,980 |
| PULSE Explore™ Wireless Earphones | ¥34,980 |
| PULSE Elite™ Wireless Headset | ¥22,980 |
| DualSense Edge® Wireless Controller | ¥34,980 |
| PlayStation®VR2 | ¥89,980 |
| PlayStation®VR2 “Horizon Call of the Mountain” Bundle | ¥94,980 |
While the weak yen is certainly a big factor in this decision, it definitely feels that Sony is shifting all of that load on the customer. Considering that the company’s PlayStation business is not exactly doing badly in terms of revenue and profits, we can’t certainly blame Japanese fans for feeling bitter about this.
While Microsoft also recently increased prices in Japan, the new changes announced by Sony mean that an Xbox Series X at 66,978 yen will be considerably more affordable than the cheaper PS5 console in the country.