Sony is raising the price of the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition and its external disc drives. They have blamed relentless economic pressures and specifically high inflation for that. The adjustment comes into effect instantly in a number of key markets.
If you take a look at Europe, the price of the PS5 Digital Edition has been adjusted to €499.99, and the removable disc drive now carries a price of €79.99. Note that the default PS5 console with the built-in disc drive is excluded from this adjustment. In the UK, the Digital Edition is being sold at £429.99, and the add-on drive is sold at £69.99.
Apart from the above-mentioned regions, the price increase also affects Australian and New Zealand consumers. Australian customers will now have to shell out $829.95 AUD for the base PS5 and $749.95 AUD for the Digital Edition. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the base version goes up to $949.95 NZD, while the Digital Edition is $859.95 NZD. The disc drives that sell separately have also increased in price, now at $124.95 AUD in Australia and $139.95 NZD in New Zealand. One product that has remained immune to the present pricing updates is the PlayStation 5 Pro.
In contrast to previous console generations, where the costs of production generally lowered as time passed, next-gen consoles are confronted with ongoing manufacturing costs. As console sales tend to be priced narrowly, producers increasingly face pressure to realign prices in light of increasing operational pressure.
The PlayStation 5 (PS5), designed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, is the fifth generation of the PlayStation console series. Released in November 2020, it is a huge advancement in gaming technology with high-end hardware, quicker load times, and much more.
PS5 has entrenched itself as the undisputed leader of the European console market. Its sales jumped 369% quarter-over-quarter in the first quarter of 2023 in strategic countries like France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. The dramatic improvement was due to better supply chains and robust demand, which helped Sony beat competitors like Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch.
By June 2024, the PS5 had recorded lifetime sales of around 19.74 million units in Europe. During that month alone, it sold more than 360,000 units, surpassing both the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S, which both saw significant year-over-year drops.
In Australia, the PS5 has had a strong presence in the market. Consumer demand continues to be strong despite a 10–15% price hike in April 2025 due to high inflation and unstable exchange rates.
In New Zealand, the PS5 has experienced chronic supply shortages since it went on sale in November 2020. The constraints have caused artificially high prices in the secondary market, with consoles being sold at a premium on different websites. Despite these issues, the PS5 is still the leading console in New Zealand due to massive customer demand and brand loyalty towards Sony’s exclusive games. In 2024, the New Zealand game console market is set to accrue revenue of up to US$110.6 million, with the PS5 being at the forefront in terms of market share.
If you play on a PS5, let us know which region you’re from in the comments below.