Game On: Sony hikes PS5 prices in select markets

“Game On” is The Fly’s weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks. 

NEW RELEASE: This week’s most notable game release is the PlayStation 5 (SONY) port of Bethesda’s “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle,” which will be available on the console April 17. The game first released in December 2024 exclusively for PC and Xbox Series X/S (MSFT).

TARIFF PAUSE: President Donald Trump’s 90-day tariff pause gives Nintendo (NTDOY) time to prep the Switch 2’s U.S. launch on June 5 and lifts pricing pressure, Bloomberg’s Vlad Savov, Takashi Mochizuki, and Andy Lin reported last week. Nintendo can focus on ramping up shipments of the Switch 2 to the U.S. market, which accounts for more than a third of its sales, and stock up units over the next three months, according to the report. As long as the tariffs remain at 10%, Bloomberg says the company can maintain its $450 price point for the Switch 2, rather than raising it by $50-$100.

Meanwhile, according to recent guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, President Trump has exempted smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices and components, including semiconductors, solar cells, flat panel TV displays, flash drives, and memory cards from the reciprocal tariffs imposed on China. White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai said in a statement that Trump “has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops.” Desai added, “At the direction of the President, these companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible.” Polygon’s Nicole Carpenter noted, however, that video game consoles are not included in the carve-out, as they fall under a trade classification for toys, not electronics.

PS5 PRICE HIKES: Isabelle Tomatis, VP, Global Marketing for Sony Interactive Entertainment, said in a blog post, “With a backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates, SIE has made the tough decision to raise the recommended retail price of the PlayStation 5 console in select markets in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The updated PS5 RRPs are effective starting April 14, as follows: Europe: PS5 Digital Edition – EUR 499.99; UK: PS5 Digital Edition – GBP 429.99; Australia: Standard PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – A$829.95; PS5 Digital Edition – A$749.95; New Zealand: Standard PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – NZD$949.95; PS5 Digital Edition – NZD$859.95. PS5 Pro RRPs remain unchanged. Additionally, the Disc Drive for PS5 will be getting an RRP decrease effective starting April 14.”

OPPENHEIMER UPGRADES ROBLOX: Oppenheimer upgraded Roblox (RBLX) to Outperform from Perform with a $70 price target. The firm believes the recent pullback in the stock has created an excellent entry point for long-term investors. Oppenheimer’s recent checks suggest that revenue contribution from programmatic video ads will materialize in 2025, and recent user engagement remains very strong throughout Q1. Longer term, the firm believes Roblox is well positioned to sustain bookings growth and margin expansion at rates that outperform the video game industry, based on its unique user growth momentum, technology infrastructure, and untapped monetization potential.

Click here to check out recent Media Buzz Sentiment on Roblox as measured by TipRanks.

MORE VIDEO GAME NEWS:

• The White House is moving toward delisting Chinese companies on U.S. exchanges, such as Tencent (TCEHY) and NetEase (NTES), Fox Business reports
• Microsoft said its Xbox Games Showcase 2025 will air June 8 and have a special showcase afterwards dedicated to “The Outer Worlds 2”
• Ubisoft’s (UBSFY) “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” has been the top-selling video game in the U.S. for each of its first three weeks in market, according to Circana’s Mat Piscatella