Tech companies are continuing to feel the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, this time in the gaming sector. Sony announced today that all editions of the PlayStation 5 will cost $50 more in less than 24 hours. New prices take effect August 21.
Under Sony’s new pricing, a standard PlayStation 5 will cost $549.99, a digital edition $499.99, and the PlayStation 5 Pro, the most powerful of the bunch, will soon be $749.99. Those changes apply only to the United States; accessories will not be affected.
“Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment,” wrote Isabelle Tomatis, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s vice president of global marketing, in a brief announcement.
Daniel Ahmad, director of research and insight at Niko Partners, tells WIRED that although Sony has been proactive in taking steps to avoid tariff impacts on its consoles—including stockpiling units in the US and diversifying its manufacturing sources—the company is still affected. “With stockpiles running low, the company is making the decision to pass on the cost of these tariffs and additional costs to consumers in the US,” Ahmad says. Tariffs on those consoles range from 15 percent in Japan to up to 30 percent in China.
Since Trump announced sweeping tariffs in April, game companies have scrambled to keep up. Microsoft announced higher prices for Xbox consoles and games in May due to “market conditions.” In an unprecedented move, Nintendo temporarily delayed preorders on the Switch 2 days after its official unveiling. Although the Switch 2 price has not yet been affected by tariffs, Nintendo raised the price of the original Switch on August 3, also citing the market.
Sony’s decision “mirrors” Xbox and Nintendo’s recent increases for its own consoles, Ahmad says. “It’s worth noting that tariff negotiations are still ongoing for some countries,” he says, pointing to a 90-day pause on China tariffs. “If a deal is not signed between the two countries, it could lead to an increase in the tariff rate.”
In other words, more increases could be on the way.
