Game On: Sony raises PlayStation 5 prices again

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

CONSOLE PRICE HIKES: Sony announced it is raising recommended retail prices for its PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S., U.K., Europe, and Japan, effective April 2, 2026. “With continued pressures in the global economic landscape, we’ve made the decision to increase the prices of PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal remote player globally,” the company said. “We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide.”

In the U.S., the base PS5 will be priced at $649.99, the PS5 Digital Edition at $599.99, and PS5 Pro at $899.99. In the U.K., the base PS5 will be priced at GBP569.99, the PS5 Digital Edition at GBP519.99, and the PS5 Pro at GBP789.99. In Europe, the base PS5 will be priced at EUR649.99, the PS5 Digital Edition at EUR599.99, and PS5 Pro at EUR899.99. In Japan, the base PS5 will be priced at 97,980 yen, the PS5 Digital Edition at 89,980 yen, and the PS5 Pro at 137,980 yen. In addition, the company is also raising the recommended retail price for the PlayStation Portal remote player effective April 2 to $249.99 in the U.S., GBP219.99 in the U.K., EUR249.99 in Europe, and 39,980 yen in Japan.

Following the news, Gamesradar’s Anthony McGlynn reported that a number of industry analysts are predicting that the starting price points of Sony’s PlayStation 6 and Xbox’s (MSFT) Project Helix have just gotten higher, with a $1,000 price point at launch not outside the realm of possibility. For example, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella told Gamesradar that Sony’s recent increase to PlayStation 5 prices is “a bigger price jump than I had been anticipating, with NYU video games professor Joost van Dreunen saying, “The relentless effort by the US administration to disrupt the global economy is backfiring exactly as expected. Already in 2024 did console manufacturers signal that any tariffs would have a major impact on pricing. The cost for DRAM and NAND have surged 80-90 percent since the start of 2026.”

“It looks like Sony baked in potential future fluctuations and decided to go for one substantial increase in early 2026 instead of raising prices more frequently and over a longer period of time,” Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of consultancy firm Kantan Games, told Gamesradar as well. “This strategy also gives them some leeway to lower prices and offer ‘deals’ if things surprisingly get better.” “I think $999 at least for one variant of the PS6 is not impossible,” Toto said, while van Dreunen agrees that “we’re quickly moving towards a world in which a $1,000 console will be the norm, and console gaming will become a luxury expenditure.”

NINTENDO GAME PRICES: Last week, Nintendo (NTDOY) announced that beginning in May 2026, and starting with preorders of “Yoshi and the Mysterious Book,” new Nintendo published digital titles exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 will have an MSRP that is different from physical versions. Nintendo games offer the same experiences whether in packaged or digital format, and this change simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format and offers players more choice in how they can buy and play Nintendo games. As always, retail partners set their own prices for physical and digital games, and pricing for each title may vary, the company noted.

DISNEY/EPIC: Disney (DIS) executives are interested in acquiring “Fortnite” maker Epic Games at some point, but are waiting for the right moment, tech reporter Alex Heath reported via an appearance on podcast The Town. “I know for a fact there are senior executives in Disney who want them to buy Epic and are just waiting for that moment,” Heath said, “and then there are others who think it’s a bad idea. If Epic ever sold, if it ever decided to call it quits on being an independent company, Disney would be the most natural home for it for a lot of reasons.” Disney is already among investors in Epic Games, along with Tencent (TCEHY), KKR (KKR), and Sony. The Fly notes that the news comes about a week after Epic Games announced 1,000 job cuts amid a downturn in “Fortnite” engagement that started in 2025.

MORE VIDEO GAME NEWS:

• Nintendo is planning to release a brand new “Star Fox” game this year, as well as a remake of “The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time” for Switch 2, VGC reports
• Nintendo’s “Pokemon Pokopia” was the top-selling game in Japan for the week of March 16-22, marking three straight weeks at the top, Famitsu reports
• Embracer’s (THQQF) Eidos Montreal laid off 124 workers
• Sony shuttered Dark Outlaw Games, Bloomberg reports