some DualSense controllers have received a $5 price increase (price change on Best Buy) https://t.co/1Jo4u3EPle pic.twitter.com/FJe4QDfb9M
— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 9, 2024
Sony has seemingly raised the price of PS5 DualSense controllers
US retailers have increased the price of a controller by $5
Sony has seemingly raised the price of PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller.
As spotted by retail sleuth Wario64, multiple North American retailers increased the price of the peripheral on Sunday, from $70 to $75, including Best Buy, Target, and PlayStation’s own Direct store.
The $5 price increase seemingly applies to all colours of the PlayStation 5 controller. At the time of publishing, there was no sign of a price increase outside of the US.
In contradiction to its previous console generations, were prices would be cut over time, Sony has raised many prices during PS5’s lifespan. Last year, the new Digital Edition PS5 console was priced at $50 more than the previous model in the US, where it will cost $449.99 instead of $399.99.
However, it’s worth noting that the new PS5 model comes with a 1TB SSD, offering more storage space than the launch model’s 825GB SSD.
Sony also raised PlayStation Plus subscription prices by up to 35% last year.
The move saw the cost of 12-month subscription plans for the service’s Essential, Extra and Premium tiers rise by $20-$40 / £10-£20 / €12-€32 depending on the chosen membership plan.
Sony reported its latest quarterly financial figures last month and noted that 2.4 million PS5 consoles were sold in Q1 FY2024 compared to 3.3 million in the same period the year before.
At the time of the announcement, Tokyo-based industry consultant Dr Serkan Toto told VGC that while software sales for the company looked “quite solid” despite a quiet period, hardware sales looked less promising.
It’s claimed that the platform holder is planning to release a PS5 Pro console later this year, and that it will feature a proprietary DLSS-like solution.