Sony has announced an increase in the recommended retail prices (RRPs) for PlayStation 5 consoles across several regions, including Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, effective from April 14. The decision to raise prices stems from the ongoing "challenging economic environment," characterized by high inflation rates and fluctuating exchange rates, as detailed in a post on the PlayStation Blog.

Here are the updated RRPs:

• Europe:

  • PS5 Digital Edition: €500 (The price of the standard PS5 with a disc drive remains unchanged)

• UK:

  • PS5 Digital Edition: £430 (The price of the standard PS5 with a disc drive remains unchanged)

• Australia:

  • Standard PS5 with disc drive: AUD $830
  • PS5 Digital Edition: AUD $750

• New Zealand:

  • Standard PS5 with disc drive: NZD $950
  • PS5 Digital Edition: NZD $860

Notably, the price of the PS5 Pro has not been affected by these changes.

This marks the second wave of price adjustments following similar increases in 2022, resulting in the PS5 becoming significantly more expensive in many regions than at its initial launch. Specifically, in Europe and the UK, the PS5 Digital Edition has seen a €100 and £70 increase, respectively, from its original launch prices of €400 and £360. In Australia, the standard PS5 has risen by AUD $80 from AUD $750, and the digital edition by AUD $150 from AUD $600. In New Zealand, the standard PS5 is now NZD $130 more expensive than its launch price of NZD $820, with the digital version increasing by NZD $210 from NZD $650.

Conversely, the RRP for the PS5 disc drive is being reduced to €80/£70/AUD $125/NZD $140, offering some relief amidst the broader price hikes.