Sony has said it is considering further price hikes for its products, in response to an expected 100bn yen (£513m) impact from US tariffs.
Speaking to investors today following the release of its latest financial results, the PlayStation 5 maker said it was evaluating whether to now “pass on” the added costs to consumers, and potentially shift some console manufacturing to the US.
Sony just announced a £40/€50 PS5 price rise for the console’s main digital-only version in the UK, mainland Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Here in the UK, it was the second price rise this console generation, after an earlier increase in 2022.
In Japan, PS5 got its most recent price rise in August 2024, and now costs roughly around £170 more than at launch.
So far, there’s been no word of a similar price rise in the US. The more expensive PS5 Pro is also yet to be increased in price here in the UK, or elsewhere.
Alternatively, Sony could raise the prices on other electronics in order to sell PS5 at more of a loss. But considering the console’s dominant position this generation over Xbox, there’s perhaps less of a concern at undercutting its rival.
Yesterday, the US appeared to back down from enforcing the brunt of its tariff plans on China, with an agreement reached to lower levies for at least the next 90 days.
The rapidly changing situation has led to uncertainty across the business world, and prompted Nintendo to prioritise Vietnamese-made Switch 2 consoles for the US market.
Speaking today, Sony exec Hiroki Totoki said the company was considering moving some PS5 manufacturing to the US in response.
“Hardware can of course be produced locally, I think that would be an efficient strategy,” Totoki said. “PS5 is being manufactured in many areas, whether it is going to be manufactured in the US or not – it needs to be considered going forward.”
Microsoft recently announced price rises for both Xbox Series X and S, while Nintendo has raised the launch price of various Switch 2 accessories and has said it is considering a post-launch price rise for the Switch 2 console itself.