[ UPDATE ] Sony increases PlayStation 5 prices by up to 23.8% due to inflation

[ UPDATE 25/08/2022 19:09 ] Sony has now released updated pricing for the PlayStation 5 in Malaysia. The console is RM200 more expensive than before, retailing at RM2,069 for the Digital Edition and RM2,499 with the Blu-ray disc drive

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It’s bad enough that the PlayStation 5 remains an unobtanium two years after its release, but Sony has just dropped a bombshell that will make the console even more unattainable. The company has announced higher prices for certain regions in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas, with the current global economic situation, and high inflation rates in particular, being cited as the culprit.

In Europe, prices have gone up by €50 (RM223) across the board, meaning that the Digital Edition now retails at €449.99 (RM2,012), an increase of 12.5%. The disc drive variant, on the other hand, is nine per cent more expensive at €549.99 (RM2,459).

The increase is not quite so steep in the UK, where the PS5 is £30 (RM159) pricier, pushing the cost of the Digital Edition up by 8.3% to £389.99 (RM2,065) and the disc drive model by 6.7% to £479.99 (RM2,541).

By far the biggest percentage increase is in Sony’s home market in Japan – there, prices have gone up by as much as 23.8%, although it remains one of the cheapest places to get a PS5. The new rates also only come into effect in the island nation on September 15, whereas they’re immediate everywhere else.

Here’s the full list of confirmed prices:

• Europe – Digital Edition €449.99 (RM2,012), disc drive €549.99 (RM2,459)
• UK – Digital Edition £389.99 (RM2,065), disc drive £479.99 (RM2,541)
• Japan – Digital Edition 49,478 yen (RM1,622), disc drive 60,478 yen (RM1,982)
• China – Digital Edition 3,499 yuan (RM2,285), disc drive 4,299 yuan (RM2,807)
• Australia – Digital Edition AUD649.95 (RM2,031), disc drive AUD799.95 (RM2,500)
• Mexico – Digital Edition 12,499 pesos (RM2,815), disc drive 14,999 pesos (RM3,378)
• Canada – Digital Edition CAD519.99 (RM1,803), disc drive CAD649.99 (RM2,253)

While the company has only announced prices for these regions for now, it also said that select markets in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Asia Pacific and Latin America may also be hit with price increases. One major market that hasn’t been affected is the United States, where the PS5 continues to retail at USD399.99 (RM1,790) for the Digital Edition and USD499.99 (RM2,237) with a disc drive.

Sony said that while the price increases were necessary to offset the economy’s impact on its business, its main priority continues to be improving the PS5’s dire supply situation “so that as many players as possible can experience everything that PS5 offers.”

We’ve reached out to Sony Malaysia to see whether local prices (currently at RM1,869 for the Digital Edition and RM2,299 with disc drive) have increased; we’ll update this story when we get more information.

[ IMAGE SOURCE ]