If you invested $500 in a PlayStation 5 at its release in 2020, you can find some solace in realizing that’s the lowest cost it will ever reach. Sony revealed on the PlayStation Blog that PS5 consoles are experiencing price hikes in almost every significant global market, including the U.S., effective April 2. In the blog entry, Sony vaguely linked the price increases to prevailing economic circumstances, likely alluding to both Donald Trump’s tariff strategies and the global AI arms race that is elevating costs for all technology.

The updated prices in USD are:
– Base PS5: $649.99
– PS5 Digital Edition: $599.99
– PS5 Pro: $899.99

This price surge, alongside another PlayStation price rise last August, indicates these devices now cost between $150 and $200 more than they did at launch. The PlayStation Portal device also faced a price hike to $249.99 as part of this announcement. Additionally, Xbox consoles also saw price increases last year. So far, the Nintendo Switch 2 has remained unaffected by this, but that console has been available for less than a year. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Nintendo eventually follow this trend.

It should be mentioned that this is atypical in the realm of video game hardware. Traditionally, the price of consoles has diminished over time, not escalated. Companies usually introduce more affordable hardware revisions as a console’s lifespan advances, enabling more people to participate in the enjoyment. However, because of tariffs and AI, that no longer appears to be the situation.