PS5 gets another price rise in Japan, now costs £170 more than at launch

Sony has announced a significant price hike for PlayStation 5 in Japan, which will see the cost of the standard and Digital Editions of the console rise by ¥13,000 (around £70).

Announcing the news in a post on its Japanese PlayStation Blog, Sony blamed the price hike (as per Google Translate) on “the recent challenging external environment, including the current fluctuations in the global economic situation, and the impact it will have on our business”.

When its new prices come into effect on 2nd September, the disc version of PlayStation 5 will increase from ¥66,980 (around £350) to ¥79,980 (around £420). As for the disc-free Digital Edition, it’ll see its price rise from ¥59,980 (£314) to ¥72,980 (£380).

Sony’s new price points for PlayStation 5 aren’t the first time the company has chosen to increase the cost of PlayStation 5 in Japan. The standard console was originally priced at ¥49,980 when it released back in 2020, while the Digital Edition cost ¥39,980 – making for an increases of around £160 and £170 respectively since launch.

Sony’s announcement has also confirmed price bumps for a wide range of PlayStation accessories in Japan too, with the likes of DualSense Wireless Controllers and PlayStation VR2 all set to be more expensive from 2nd September.

Sony last increased the cost of Japanese PS5s back in 2022, which was accompanied by a £30/€50 price hike for the console in the UK and Europe, bringing the price to £480/€550 for the standard edition and £390/€450 for its Digital Edition counterpart. There’s no indication its latest Japanese price hike will be mirrored in any other territories.