PS5 price hike goes live August 21

Editorial take on Sony’s US PS5 price increase and what it means for shoppers this summer.

Sony raises PS5 prices as tariffs push costs higher

Sony has announced a $50 price increase for all PS5 slim models in the United States, effective August 21. The Digital Edition will cost $499.99, the standard PS5 $549.99, and the PS5 Pro $749.99. Shoppers can still find current prices today at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, though stock is limited as the change nears.

Stock levels vary by retailer. The disc-based PS5 is already sold out at Amazon, and availability may tighten further as the price change approaches. The Digital Edition, which lacks a built in disc drive, can still play digital games from the PlayStation Store, while Sony offers an optional external drive for $79.99 to support physical media. The PS5 Pro trades some disc options for a faster GPU, higher memory, and 2 TB of storage, but it does not include an internal disc drive. All three models share the same game library, with some titles receiving visual upgrades on the higher end hardware. The price change follows tariff-driven cost pressures on international goods that have affected electronics pricing broadly.

Nintendo has reacted similarly with a price increase on its original Switch models, underscoring a broader trend in console pricing as tariffs and policy shifts influence what consumers pay for gaming hardware.

The move illustrates how policy and tariff dynamics filter down to everyday electronics. For households, the decision now comes down to timing and format: digital only versus disc permitted, and how much storage is needed for a growing library. Shoppers who can act quickly may lock in the older prices today, but the window is narrow as retailers clear stock. The pattern across major consoles suggests that price stability in consumer tech is increasingly fragile, with tariff policy and currency fluctuations shaping the bottom line for families and retailers alike.

Highlights

Prices move, but the story of how families balance game time and budgets will continue.