RAMageddon strikes again, sending shockwaves through every consumer electronic you know and love and making them more expensive. Our latest victim was the Sony PlayStation 5. Not to be confused with the tariff-related price hike from last year, which saw a $50 increase for the PS5 digital and the PS5 Pro. This time around, we have the AI boom and storage scarcity to blame. We’ve seen this same scenario reported an infinite number of times at this point, so let’s just get into the damage.
Starting Thursday, April 2nd, the PS5 will encounter a price increase to all consoles on a global level, so you will have until then to buy a new console at an already too-high price. New pricing as follows (+$150 USD):
U.S.
- PS5: $649.99
- PS5 Digital Edition: $599.99
- PS5 Pro – $899.99
U.K.
- PS5: £569.99
- PS5 Digital Edition: £519.99
- PS5 Pro: £789.99
Europe (EU)
- PS5: €649.99
- PS5 Digital Edition: €599.99
- PS5 Pro: €899.99
Japan
- PS5: ¥97,980
- PS5 Digital Edition: ¥89,980
- PS5 Pro: ¥137,980
The PS Portal will also see a relatively smaller price increase ($50 USD):
- U.S.: $249.99
- U.K.: £219.99
- Europe: €249.99
- Japan: ¥39,980
A Bleak Future?
Absolutely not. There is really no predicting how the market will move 6 months to a year from now. The RAM and storage issue, in a world dominated by computing, will have no choice but to find some footing in the consumer market. Price increases like these are a corporation’s way of retaining its margins, but the consumer can only take so much before they use alternative means of entertainment.
We have our (still) cheap emulation handhelds, we have the ever-growing used market (I bought a PS5 Pro for $450 last week), and the reality is that there is no reason to buy a brand new current-gen home console right now at these prices. My advice? Wait out the storm. Pick up an RG XX series console, and jump on Discord/Facebook/Reddit and talk about your favorite game you’re currently playing.
And if you want to snag a new console before the prices jump, check the table below.
