Sales of the PS5 surged as consumers hurried to purchase the console ahead of worldwide price increases

Last week saw a rise in the unit and dollar sales of PlayStation 5 in the US, right when Sony revealed upcoming price increases for the console, citing ongoing global economic challenges.

In late March, Sony announced a price hike, effective April 2, for the PS5, with both the base and digital versions going up by $100, and the PS5 Pro by $150. Isabelle Tomatis, a vice president at Sony Interactive Entertainment, mentioned this adjustment was essential for maintaining the delivery of top-notch gaming experiences worldwide.

Circana's Mat Piscatella, an advisor in the video game sector, noted that spending on gaming hardware in the US that week nearly doubled compared to the same period the previous year, as gamers hurried to upgrade before prices increased.

Earlier, in February, Sony disclosed financial outcomes for the nine months ending on December 31, 2025, showing a 21% boost in operating income. The Game & Network Services section also experienced a 27% rise, reaching ¥409.1 billion ($2.6 billion). Nonetheless, there was a reduction in hardware income, with PlayStation 5 unit sales dropping by 15.7%.

This rise in costs follows another price increase from last April when Sony raised the PS5 prices in Europe, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. However, during that period, the price of the PS5 Pro stayed the same globally, while adjustments were made to the digital edition in the UK and Europe, and to the base model in Australia and New Zealand.

Recently, there have been discussions about Sony possibly postponing the introduction of its new-generation console, citing a shortage of memory chips impacting consumer technology firms.