PlayStation 5 is becoming even more expensive in Japan, in an announcement made by Sony on the Japanese PlayStation blog. This price hike comes after “the recent challenging external environment, including the current fluctuations in the global economic situation, and the impact it will have on our business.” With the current state of PlayStation’s finances across the globe, the price hike isn’t too surprising. However, it is a relatively drastic price rise for PlayStation 5 overall. Regardless of what edition of the console people buy, they will now have to fork out an extra $90 in Yen.
For those who still want to get a PlayStation 5 and live in Japan, now would be the time, as the price rise for the console goes into effect as of September 2. The disc edition of the PlayStation 5 will be going from ¥66,980 (~$465) to ¥79,980 (~$550), which is a stark increase. It’s no better for the digital edition of the PlayStation 5, as the price of that edition is going from ¥59,980 (~$417) to ¥72,980 (~507).
Compared to other consoles, PlayStation 5 is the only one that hasn’t seen any form of a price decrease over the years, except for decreases when the console is on a temporary sale. Even then, the sales don’t happen often, so it’s slim to none that people will actually be able to get the console at a reasonable price. While Sony is said to be doing this due to the world’s economic climate right now, it most likely won’t go over very well by raising the price of the console. It’s now made it even more unobtainable for people to get, compared to an Xbox Series X|S or Nintendo Switch, which is significantly cheaper.
Since launch, the PlayStation 5 has seen multiple price hikes in Japan specifically, with both the disc and digital edition receiving significant price rises. Since the release of the console, both editions have seen a total price rise of $210~ and $225, respectively, compared to other countries that haven’t seen price rises as significant. However, when the console first received a price rise in Japan, the UK and Europe experienced price increases. Whether the same will happen this time round remains to be seen.
However, it doesn’t stop there. Sony has also confirmed that the accessories for the PlayStation 5 will also be experiencing price rises. For example, Dualsense Wireless Controllers and the PlayStation VR2 will all become pricier in Japan as of September 2. Whether the accessories will experience a price increase globally will remain to be seen until the price hikes are officially enforced in Japan.
