Sony to hike PlayStation 5 prices again as memory chip costs surge

Sony Group is raising global prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles, including a $100 increase in the United States, marking its second hike in less than a year as the Japanese firm grapples with rising costs of key components such as memory chips. The tech industry’s race to build out artificial intelligence infrastructure has pushed memory makers to favour higher-margin data-centre chips, tightening supply for consumer devices. The updated US prices, effective April 2, will put the standard PS5 at $649.99, up from $549.99. The digital edition will now cost $599.99 while the high-end PS5 Pro will cost $899.99. Read More: Microsoft to release Starfield on PlayStation 5 in shift away from Xbox exclusives Prices of the PlayStation Portal remote player will also climb to $249.99 from $199.99. Similar increases will take effect across Europe and Japan, following what the company described as a "careful evaluation" of rising cost pressures in global supply chains. Analysts have said the console price hikes are likely to dampen growth in the video-game market this year. "Fortnite" maker Epic Games also cited sluggish console sales among the reasons for the cut of 1,000 jobs it announced earlier this week. In the key October-December holiday quarter, sales of Sony's PlayStation 5 fell 16% from a year earlier to eight million units. The console has been on the market for around six years. Sony last raised PS5 prices by around $50 in the US in August last year. Microsoft also raised the prices of its console, the Xbox, last year.