Sony’s PlayStation 5 business is beginning to lose momentum as increasing console prices and mounting manufacturing expenses place pressure on consumer demand. Traditionally, gaming consoles become more affordable as they age, but the PS5 has followed a very different path since arriving in 2020.

At launch, Sony priced the PS5 Digital Edition at $615 and the Disc Edition at $768. Following multiple pricing adjustments over recent years, the Digital Edition now sells for roughly $922, while the Disc model costs about $999. The most recent increase arrived in March 2026 and pushed pricing up by nearly $154 compared with the original launch figures.

The rising cost of the console now appears to be affecting sales significantly. Sony reported sales of 1.5 million PS5 units during the quarter ending 31 March 2026, down from 2.8 million consoles during the same period a year earlier. The decline represents a drop of more than 46 per cent year-on-year.

Annual PS5 sales have also weakened, falling from 18 million units in FY2024 to 16.5 million units in FY2025. Although total worldwide PS5 sales have now reached 93.7 million units, the console continues to lag behind the PlayStation 4 at the equivalent point in its lifecycle.

Sony says growing memory chip prices and increasing component expenses are creating challenges across the wider PlayStation business. Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki explained that the higher production costs are impacting not only hardware sales but also software earnings, subscription services, and accessory revenue.

Consumers are also showing less enthusiasm for paying premium prices for ageing hardware, particularly as many expected the PS5 to become cheaper several years after release.

Despite the weaker sales figures, Sony has stated that it does not currently intend to introduce another PS5 price increase. The company plans to maintain its existing pricing structure after implementing several rises over the past year.

Sony remains confident about the long-term outlook for its gaming division. The company expects profits to increase by around 30 per cent during the next financial year, supported by the highly anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI in November.

The company also confirmed that development work on the PlayStation 6 is continuing. However, continued spending on research, chip technology, and next-generation hardware is expected to place pressure on profits in the short term.