Business · Wired
Sony’s PS5 Price Hikes Prove This Console Generation Is Far
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 outlet. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
If you’ve been holding off on picking up a PlayStation 5 in hopes of a price cut, bad news: the cost of every model of Sony’s all-conquering console has instead gone up considerably.
Key facts
- For example, the PS4, which launched for $400 in 2013, was retailing for $300 by 2018, a 25 percent decrease
- Xbox increased its hardware and GamePass subscription costs multiple times in 2025, eventually bringing the MSRP of the top-end 2-TB Xbox Series X to its current $800, and is rumored
- That’s $100 higher than its previous US retail price (which was already up following an earlier hike back in August 2025, driven by Trump’s tariffs ) and a staggering 50 percent higher than its $400
- The AI bubble has seen RAM and SSD storage prices skyrocket in the last few months, impacting the entire global tech sector
Summary
It’s a move that breaks with decades of tradition (or at least consumer expectations) and is undoubtedly a blow for anyone hoping for a discount, five years into the current console generation. Historically, at this point in a console generation, incumbent hardware sees steep discounts. For example, the PS4, which launched for $400 in 2013, was retailing for $300 by 2018, a 25 percent decrease. The AI bubble has seen RAM and SSD storage prices skyrocket in the last few months, impacting the entire global tech sector. The new MSRPs went into effect on April 2, and there’s no sugarcoating that they mark significant increases.