Sony just delivered unwelcome news to gamers worldwide. Starting April 2nd, the company is raising PlayStation 5 prices by $100 across its entire console lineup - marking the second significant price increase in less than a year. The standard PS5 will now cost $649.99, while the high-end PS5 Pro hits $899.99. It's a bold move that could reshape the console wars just as the holiday buying season approaches.
Sony is putting its PlayStation dominance to the test. The gaming giant announced Friday it's raising prices across its entire PS5 lineup by $100, effective April 2nd - a move that pushes the flagship console to $649.99 and the premium PS5 Pro to a eye-watering $899.99. According to the official PlayStation blog post, the PS5 Digital Edition will now cost $599.99, up from $499.99.
The timing couldn't be more striking. This marks the second price increase in less than 12 months, following a $50 hike across all three models last August. That's a cumulative $150 increase for the standard PS5 since mid-2025 - pushing what was once a $499.99 console at launch to nearly $650.
Sony's also not stopping at consoles. The PlayStation Portal remote player is jumping from $199.99 to $249.99, a 25% increase that suggests the company's cost pressures extend across its entire gaming ecosystem. The company cited "continued pressures" in its brief announcement, though it stopped short of detailing specific supply chain or component cost challenges.
The move puts Sony in risky territory. While PlayStation has maintained strong market leadership - the PS5 has sold over 50 million units since its 2020 launch - aggressive pricing could open doors for competitors. Microsoft has kept Xbox Series X prices stable at $499.99, while Nintendo continues to dominate the portable market with the Switch priced at $299.99.
What's particularly bold about this increase is the timing within the console lifecycle. The PS5 is now over four years old, a point where prices typically drop to drive late-cycle adoption. Instead, Sony's betting that its exclusive game library - including upcoming titles like the next God of War and Spider-Man installments - will keep demand strong enough to absorb the higher prices.
