Today, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced a significant price hike for some PS5 models in the European and Oceanian markets.
According to the announcement, in Europe, the PS5 Digital Edition is now priced at €499.99, up from the current €449.99. There won’t be changes to the Standard edition with the Blu-ray drive.
In the UK, the digital edition is priced at £429.99, up from £389.99.
In Australia, the PS5 Digital Edition got a hike to AUD $749.95, while the standard edition with the drive has gone up to AUD $829.95.
In New Zealand, the PS5 Digital Edition’s price is NZD $859.95, while the Standard edition is now priced at NZD $949.95.
Even the disc drive received a price hike as follows.
- Europe €79.99
- UK £69.99
- Australia AUD $124.95
- New Zealand NZD $139.95
All the changes are effective from April 14, which means immediately. Select markets in the EMEA region (which includes the Middle East) may also receive hikes not listed above.
As a reason for these changes, Sont cites (via Global Marketing Vice President Isabelle Tomatis) “a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates,” mentioning that the price hike was a “tough decision.”
While the economic situation is indeed unstable, it’s hard to forget that Sony recently announced extremely positive financial results for PlayStation, including 16% growth year-on-year in sales and 37% year-on-year growth in profits, achieving a record-high result for the Holiday quarter.
The previous quarter showcased even better growth in profits, with a whopping +184%.
This certainly makes the talk about challenges for the company much harder to swallow for customers.