While many suspected that console prices would increase due to the worldwide memory shortage, few expected Sony to be the first to pull the trigger. From April 2nd, the PS5 will cost $650, while the PS5 Pro retails for a whopping $900. Unfortunately, this may spur Microsoft and Nintendo to undertake similar price bumps, according to Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis.
“The supply chain shock of the elongated increase in memory and storage prices – both essential for console hardware – means that there is some inevitability to the PlayStation hardware price increases announced by Sony,” he told Eurogamer shortly after the announcement. “It is likely that Sony had price protections for its components for a set period, and this may well have come to an end.
“With no sign of prices easing largely due to demand for AI infrastructure, Sony will have made the move to protect its slim hardware margins. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Microsoft and Nintendo followed suit in the not-too-distant future.”
As inflation shows no signs of slowing down, the increased console prices could also affect software. “The console and the AAA PC gaming markets rely on hardware investment to bring in new active players and drive market momentum, so if this weakens, it might soften demand for new games.” Granted, there are big titles like Grand Theft Auto 6 out later this year, whose “positive impact”, Harding-Rolls notes, PlayStation and Microsoft “will want to take full advantage of.” But you have to wonder how much more successful it would be if console prices were more accessible to new players.
It’s worth noting that Microsoft announced price increases for Xbox hardware last May and again in October. An Xbox Series X currently retails for $650 while the 2 TB Galaxy Black Edition costs $800. Nintendo has yet to announce a price increase for the Switch 2, which launched in July 2025, but it has confirmed separate price points for physical and digital first-party titles going forward.
With console sales in the US struggling to maintain some positive momentum – so much so that Nintendo is reportedly cutting production of the Switch 2 by over 30 percent – price increases could only sour things further.
