Sony has announced a significant price increase for the PlayStation 5 in Japan. The price of the standard and digital editions of the console will rise by ¥13,000 (approximately £70).

Sony announced the news in a post on its Japanese PlayStation blog, attributing the price increase (according to Google Translate) to “the recent challenging external environment, including the current fluctuations in the global economic situation and the impact this will have on our business.”

When the new prices come into effect on September 2, the disc version of the PlayStation 5 will increase from ¥66,980 (about £350) to ¥79,980 (about £420). The price of the disc-free Digital Edition will increase from ¥59,980 (£314) to ¥72,980 (£380).

Sony’s new prices for the PlayStation 5 are not the first time the company has decided to increase the price of the PlayStation 5 in Japan. The standard console originally cost ¥49,980 when it was released in 2020, while the Digital Edition cost ¥39,980 – representing an increase of around £160 and £170 respectively since launch.

Sony’s announcement also confirmed price increases for a wide range of PlayStation accessories in Japan. For example, the DualSense wireless controller and PlayStation VR2 will become more expensive starting September 2.

Sony last increased the cost of Japanese PS5s in 2022, which came with a £30/€50 price increase for the console in the UK and Europe, bringing the price to £480/€550 for the Standard Edition and £390/€450 for the Digital Edition. There is no indication that the recent price increase in Japan will be repeated in other territories.