Sony is raising the price of its PlayStation 5 game console in several markets including Europe and the UK in what analysts said was an attempt to get ahead of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The Japanese group cited “a backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates”, as the reason behind its “tough decision” to raise the price about 11 per cent in Europe to €500 and about 10 per cent in the UK to ￡430 from April 14.
The increase, which will also apply to some markets in the Middle East and Africa, as well as Australia and New Zealand, could foreshadow a price rise in the US. A significant proportion of Sony’s PS5 production is located in China, which faces US tariffs of up to 145 per cent.