The price has even risen for refurbished Sony PlayStation 5 gaming consoles

A new wave of price hikes for gaming consoles has emerged

Game system manufacturers turned out to be one of the electronics categories that felt a sharp increase in memory costs. They were unable to curb the price rise, and as a result the market saw a series of recommended price increases.

What changed
- Sony raised the price of refurbished PlayStation 5 Slim models by $100.
- The version without an optical drive now costs $499.
- The model with a drive — $549.
- The “PS5 + Fortnite” bundle, which previously allowed you to buy the Digital Edition for $399, disappeared.

How it looks in practice
| Configuration | Price (USD) |
|---------------|-------------|
| Refurbished PS5 Slim without drive | 499 |
| Refurbished PS5 Slim with drive | 549 |
| Classic PS5 (USA) | 399* (only refurbished) |
| New original PS5 | minimum 599 |

*The classic model is only available in refurbished form for $399.

If you want a new console with an optical drive but are not ready to pay over $599, look for the configuration with the game Ghost of Yotei in black – it usually sells at the same price.

Why this matters
- The Slim model has a larger SSD (1 TB versus 825 GB on the original) and two USB‑C ports instead of a “USB‑A + USB‑C” combo. Therefore, if savings are more important, you can choose the regular PS5 – its internal storage is easy to replace later.
- Sony raised prices without public notification. The previous increase occurred in early April across the entire range.
- Interestingly, price hikes also affected refurbished units, even though they do not require memory upgrades. This could be an attempt to regulate demand.

Thus, the gaming console market is undergoing a period of price reassessment, and buyers must carefully evaluate options to choose the best balance of cost and functionality.