Instead of Americans, we will carry (also) Europeans of customs

The decision of the Japanese technology giant Sony to raise the prices of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) gaming console (PS5) in key world markets echoes. Sony is officially attributed by Sony to the demanding economic conditions. But the time placement of the decision and the broader events in the industry indicate a much more complicated background, in which US customs policies obviously play their role.

As reported by foreign media such as Financial Times and CNBCthe recommended retail price for the PS5 PS5 console will be raised by 50 euros in the euro area, at the final $ 549.99-representing a 10 % raise for this model. In the UK, the price will be higher by £ 30 and will be £ 479.99. Prices will also increase in Japan, Canada, Australia and some other markets. Surprisingly, the United States of America, considered the largest gaming console market, remain exempt from this wave of price. Raising prices is considered to be both versions of the console.

The official explanation of the Sony

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) insists in its official explanations that the main reasons to raise prices are « high global inflation » and « unfavorable currency trends ». President and CEO of SIE, Jim ryanhe described the move as a « difficult but urgent decision » in the light of the current economic environment, which presses heavily on many industries. He emphasized the commitment to improve the availability of PS5 consoles.

However, the timing of events sets Sony’s decision in a broader context. Just a week before the announcement of the price increase, around 7 April 2025, the news of the introduction of new, targeted US customs by administration, struck Donald Trump. Portal IGN reported that these customs, which is also expected to affect Japan with a 24 % rate, will enter into force on 9 April. The announcement immediately caused a real storm on Asian stock exchanges, where the shares of Japanese gaming giants, including Sony (by 10.16 percent), crashed.

According to Reuters, President Trump has temporarily frozen for 90 days. However, the existing 10 % US customs duties remain on some products and thus continue to contribute to the cost pressure facing international companies, including Japanese Sony.

The constant pressure of existing US customs duties and uncertainty due to higher, although currently frozen customs – forms an extremely demanding environment for Sony and the entire toy industry. Therefore, it is no surprise to analyst’s assessment Christopher Drangawhich is for BBC Sony said by raising prices elsewhere in the world could try to strategically protect the key US market from directly expenses.

The fact that customs have a major impact on decisions is also confirmed by Nintenda’s behavior, which recently postponed the launch of the Switch 2 console and stopped pre -orders in the United States explicitly due to the need for « influence of US customs » on market conditions.

At the end of the times when the console was all cheaper

The events may be announcing a new era in the industry price policy. « The period when the prices of the game console were eventually decreasing is definitely over, » Dring said. Consumers thus face higher prices in times of general gem, and the question remains whether Microsoft will follow Sony with its Xbox consoles or try to maintain a price advantage.

The United States of America, considered the largest gaming console market, remain exempt from this wave of price. Photo: Richard A. Brooks/AFP

The fact that higher customs duties are only temporarily frozen, however, leaves an open possibility of further price later this year.