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PlayStation 5 Prices Increase Significantly Since 2020 Launch
Key points
- PS5 Digital Edition increased from $399 (2020) to $599 (2026).
- PS5 Disc Edition increased from $499 (2020) to $649 (2026).
- Price hikes occurred in August 2025 and April 2026.
- The PS5 Slim redesign in 2023 also raised the Digital Edition's price.
- PS5 Disc Edition will cost $650 by 2026.
- Sony plans to go fully digital in 2028.
- PlayStation Plus cost $50/year in 2010.
- PlayStation Plus's cheapest option is $80/year by 2022.
- PlayStation Plus became mandatory for online multiplayer on PS4.
PS5 Price Increases Since Launch
The PlayStation 5, launched in 2020, has seen significant price increases by 2026. The standard Disc Edition, which debuted at $499, now retails for $649. The Digital Edition, initially priced at $399, has increased to $599.
Deviation from Console Pricing Trends
These price adjustments go against the typical console generation trend where prices usually decrease over time, often accompanied by hardware revisions or bundles. Previous Sony consoles like the PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro maintained or reduced their launch prices years into their lifecycle.
Timeline of Price Hikes
The first price increase for the PS5 occurred in August 2025, raising each model by $50. A further $100 increase was implemented in April 2026, leading to the current MSRPs. The 2023 PS5 Slim redesign also contributed to the Digital Edition's starting price rising to $449, though the Disc version remained at $500 at that time.
Hardware Revisions and Storage Changes
The PS5 Slim redesign in 2023 reduced the console's physical size and increased onboard storage from 825GB to 1TB. However, the Slim Digital model's storage was later reduced back to 825GB in late 2025. The Slim Digital Edition also supports an optional $80 disc drive add-on.
Updates
- PS5 Disc Edition will cost $650 by 2026.
- Sony plans to go fully digital in 2028.
- PlayStation Plus cost $50/year in 2010.
- PlayStation Plus's cheapest option is $80/year by 2022.
- PlayStation Plus became mandatory for online multiplayer on PS4.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
PlayStation Plus has evolved from a single-tier service costing $50/year in 2010 to a multi-tiered model with the cheapest option at $80/year by 2022. The service became mandatory for online multiplayer on the PS4 and introduced new features to compete with services like Microsoft's Game Pass.
The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition now costs $599 and the Disc Edition costs $649 in 2026, representing increases of $200 and $150 respectively since their 2020 launch prices. This marks the first time a Sony console has increased in price over its lifespan, bucking the industry trend of price reductions later in a console generation.