US-China trade war: Sony hikes PS5 prices in key markets

Japan’s Sony has on Sunday April 13, 2025, announced a fresh round of price hikes for its PlayStation 5 consoles in several markets outside the United States.

According to statement issued by Sony, the decision is in response to the rising inflation and volatile exchange rates as major drivers behind the move.

The Japanese tech giant cited inflation and exchange rate instability as reasons for the hike in a Sunday blog post.

Gamers in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Australia will now pay over 10 percent more for the PS5 Digital Edition.

New Zealand customers will also face higher costs for the digital-only version of the PlayStation 5 console.

Sony confirmed the standard PS5 with Blu-ray drive will become more expensive in Australia and New Zealand.

The company mentioned possible price hikes in the Middle East and Africa but did not provide specific figures.

In contrast, Sony will reduce the recommended price of the standalone PS5 disk drive accessory.

All changes took effect from Monday April 14,2025, according to the official statement released by Sony.

Prices for the advanced PS5 Pro model, launched in November, will remain unchanged across all markets.

The PS5 Pro offers improved speed and better graphics compared to the original console released in 2020.

In Europe, the PS5 Digital Edition now costs €499.99, which is about $570 in current exchange rates.

In the United Kingdom, the same version now retails at £429.99, roughly $567 in U.S. dollars.

Sony’s decision follows global market instability triggered by U.S.-China trade tensions by President Donald Trump.

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