The PlayStation 5 Now Costs $50 More

By Bee Wertheimer | August 21, 2025 | 3:37pm

Video Games News Sony PlayStation

It seems like Nintendo’s decision to bump original Switch prices earlier this month has set a precedent for other bazillion-dollar gaming companies to offload minor business expenses onto their consumers. The baton has officially been passed, and now the title of Corporation Most Desperate to Eke Out an Extra Buck belongs to Sony.

Yesterday Sony announced the cost of the PlayStation 5 is going up by $50, as of today. They’re navigating “a challenging economic environment,” you see; poor Sony faced a 6% decline in revenue last quarter, meaning they only raked in a measly $18 billion. It’ll be a challenge to keep the business afloat with such limited funds, but we’re all rooting for them in these difficult times.

Sony’s new recommended retail prices are $549.99 for the PS5, $499.99 for the PS5 Digital Edition, and $749.99 for the PS5 Pro. Accessory costs remain unchanged.

If you’ve been following these price hikes, you know they’re in response to Trump’s
“reciprocal” tariffs, which went into effect on August 7, and have once again made everything more expensive in the name of a somehow better economy. I’m not sure if the idea that tariffs will incentivize American production is a genuinely held belief or simply an excuse to screw over consumers, but regardless the evidence for rich people’s brain matter composition consisting entirely of gray sludge is irrefutable.