This is on top of the fact that it’s also a doozy trying to buy the console

It’s been almost two years since the PlayStation 5 was released, but being able to snag one hasn’t gotten any easier for gamers like me here in Thailand. The console isn’t available in retail stores and can only be bought through pre-orders, which Sony Thailand and popular video game store Nadz only do once a month. With enough luck and quick fingers, you might be one of the fortunate few to get a pre-order in. Alternatively, you can buy from scalpers—who resell it at a ridiculous price. However, the PS5 is now not just hard to get, but it has also become pricier.

According to a post on the PlayStation blog, the main reason for the price hike is the “global economic environment” and “high inflation rates”. Despite the console selling 20 million units by the end of May of this year, Sony hasn’t been spared from the adverse effects of the economic downturn the world has been facing. This is the opposite of what has happened with Sony’s past two consoles: the PS3 dropped its price after three years and the PS4 after two. The price hike also comes while the company is still dealing with a global semiconductor shortage, which Sony thinks will last at least until 2022 and is the main reason for the lack of PS5 supply to meet the demand. 

Gamers in Thailand will have to shell out about 2,000 baht more if they want to cop a PS5. The Standard Edition, which includes a disc drive, has gone from 16,990 baht to 18,690 baht, while the Digital Edition went from 13,990 baht to 15,690 baht. The UK has taken the smallest hit with only a 6% price increase while Japan, where the console originates from, will sadly suffer the steepest price increase of 21%.

However, one region was left unscathed: the US. A Polygon article has theorized that this is probably due to the strength of the US dollar and that a price increase might be riskier since the US has a much more competitive console market with the presence of Xbox. 

Industry analysts say that the price hike will not affect sales since there’s still a high demand for the PS5. The fact that you still have to be quick or miss your chance with the once-a-month preorders here in Thailand two years after its initial release is a testament to that fact. It seems that a perfect storm has made the PS5 challenging to get, but it doesn’t seem to be fazing gamers.