PS5 Sales Plummet After Price Hike, Sony Confirms PS6 Development
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Japanese technology and entertainment company Sony has recorded a decline in sales of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) console following a series of price increases since the device was launched in 2020.
Citing Gizmochina on Saturday (9/5) local time, the price of the PS5 Digital Edition, initially priced at $399 or approximately Rp6.9 million, has now risen to around $599 or approximately Rp9.8 million. Meanwhile, the Disc Edition version has increased from $499 to $649 or approximately Rp10.6 million.
The latest price increase was announced in March 2026, adding nearly $100 compared to the initial launch price.
This situation has begun to impact PS5 sales. Sony recorded sales of only 1.5 million PS5 units in the quarter ending 31 March 2026, down from 2.8 million units in the same period the previous year. This indicates an annual decline of more than 46%.
On an annual basis, PS5 sales also fell from 18 million units in fiscal year 2024 to 16.5 million units in fiscal year 2025.
Although total global PS5 sales have reached 93.7 million units, this performance still lags behind the PlayStation 4 at the same product age phase.
Sony attributes the increase in component costs, particularly memory chips and other hardware, as the main factor burdening the PlayStation business.
Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki stated that these cost increases also affect software sales, PlayStation subscription services, and accessories.
Consumers are also seen as increasingly reluctant to buy an older device at increasingly expensive prices, especially as many users hope PS5 prices would drop as the product’s age increases.
Nevertheless, Sony has assured that it has no plans to raise PS5 prices again in the near future and will maintain the current pricing structure.
The company remains optimistic that its gaming business will grow by around 30% in the next fiscal year, driven by the launch of Grand Theft Auto VI in November.
Sony has also confirmed that development of the next-generation console, PlayStation 6 or PS6, is still ongoing.
However, investments in research, chip development, and PS6 hardware are estimated to continue affecting the company’s profits in the coming period.