The recent PS5 price increase appears to have had an immediate effect on sales in Japan. During the week of March 30 to April 5, sales of the standard PlayStation 5 with a disc drive dropped sharply to just 558 units, down from 2,801 the previous week. This marks a decline of roughly 80% compared to the week before.
The impact was not limited to the standard model. The PS5 Pro also saw a major decline, with sales falling from 4,662 units to just 840 units in the same period. In contrast, the PS5 Digital Edition performed much better, recording 12,141 units sold. This increase is likely tied to the region-locked digital-only Japanese model, which remained at a lower price point and became the more attractive option for buyers after the price hike.
After the increase, many buyers likely delayed their purchase, switched to the cheaper digital-only model, or had already rushed to buy the console the week before, as rumors had already suggested that a price increase was expected the following week. This rush in sales before the price hike may have also made the sales look much lower by comparison.
The current prices in Japan now stand at ¥97,980 (around $615) for the standard PS5, ¥137,980 for the PS5 Pro (around $865), and ¥55,000 (around $345) for the region-locked digital model. As a result, many buyers appear to be moving toward the lower-priced digital version, which helped prevent total sales from falling even further. It’s interesting for Sony to make this move, as until recently, Japan was known for broadly preferring boxed games over digital.
It is also worth noting that, in previous console generations, prices typically fell over time after launch. However, the PS5 has followed the opposite trend, with several price increases since release. While rising component costs and global economic pressures may help explain this, the latest increase has still clearly affected sales. For more PlayStation related coverage, keep checking GameObserver.
