Sony has announced a $50 price increase for all PlayStation 5 “slim” models in the U.S., effective August 21. The new prices will be $499.99 for the PS5 Digital Edition, $549.99 for the standard PS5, and $749.99 for the PS5 Pro. Consumers looking to avoid the price hike can purchase the PS5 at retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart before the change takes effect.
Currently, the disc-based PS5 is sold out at Amazon, with options potentially narrowing as the sale date approaches. The PS5 Digital Edition is available for approximately $449, while the standard PS5 is priced around $499 at various retailers. Additionally, the PS5 Pro can be found for about $699 at these locations.
All three PS5 models offer access to the same game library but feature different specifications. The PS5 Digital Edition lacks a disc drive and exclusively plays digital games purchased from the PlayStation Store. Users can buy an optional external disc drive for $79.99 if they wish to play physical games. The standard disc-based PS5 includes an internal disc drive but shares the same technical specifications with the Digital Edition.
The PS5 Pro features enhanced graphics capabilities, faster memory, improved ray tracing, support for Wi-Fi 7, and AI-powered upscaling. While it also does not come with an internal disc drive, it is compatible with the external disc drive intended for earlier PS5 models. With 2TB of internal storage, it offers more capacity for digital games compared to the 1TB found in non-Pro models.
This price increase comes shortly after Nintendo implemented a similar raise on original Nintendo Switch models. Both companies attribute the adjustments to tariffs on international goods, which were first announced in April 2023.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/tech/763043/sony-playstation-5-ps5-tariff-price-increase-deal-sale