Bad news for anyone who was thinking about buying a PS5 this year: the price is set to increase in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The news comes off the back of a lot of global financial turmoil after trade tariffs were put in place by the USA. So far, the US has been guarded from these PS5 price increases, but that may not last for long.
As of today, April 14, the PS5 Digital Edition is increasing to £429.99 in the UK, and €499.99. That's £40 more expensive than the £389.99 RRP we've come to know, and £10 more than the Astro Bot PS5 bundle that's been sweeping the shelves for a few weeks now.
I've scoured the web for our UK readers, trying to find places where the older price is holding firm. For now, the Astro Bot bundle seems like the best bet, and retailers like EE are holding onto a £329 price tag the Digital Edition has been loved for. The Disc Edition of the Astro Bot bundle is going for £419 at EE right now, and I'd recommend anyone who was thinking of buying one of Sony's consoles to consider these deals instead of paying more as the year goes on.
To get more specific, Sony announced via the PlayStation Blog that due to "a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates, SIE has made the tough decision to raise the recommended retail price (RRP) of the PlayStation 5 console in select markets."
The blog post says the standard PS5 (with the Blu-ray drive) will only increase in price in Australia and New Zealand ($829.95 AUD / $949.95 NZD), so it doesn't seem as though anyone in the UK or Europe wanting to buy the flagship PS5 will be affected for now.
After the reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2's price, however, this may make the market quite interesting. In the UK, the new console costs £395.99, with its Mario Kart World bundle going for £429.99. Had the PS5 not seen this price increase, it would have been cheaper than buying a Switch 2, but add on the new £40 subsidy and it's now the same cost as the Mario Kart offering.
In slightly brighter news, Sony also announced that the cost of buying the Blu-ray drive for PS5 will decrease. To upgrade the console will now set you back £69.99 in the UK and €79.99 in Europe. In Australia, it'll cost $124.95, and in New Zealand, $139.95. That's all the blog post mentions for now, so luckily, the price of the other best PS5 accessories doesn't seem to be impacted. It'll be interesting to see how things progress as tariffs continue to disrupt tech markets, and a price hike in the US might not be too far away either.
To spruce up your PS5 loadout, check out the best PS5 controllers, the best SSDs for PS5, and the best PS5 external hard drives.
