The past few days, there have been recent changes in PlayStation product pricing in two separate markets. While this doesn’t directly affect the US, it paints a grim picture of where we’re heading.
The pricing changes affect not only games but even PlayStation Plus memberships, with the subscription service already seeing a significant price hike take place earlier this year,affecting over a dozen countries.
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Understandably, gamers are worried about the recent developments over the weekend, given the pricing changes made by Sony.
PlayStation Store Games And PS Plus Subscription Price Increases
Gamers in Brazil havereportedthat some games on the local PSN Store have increased prices, which Sony blames on “challenging market conditions”.
The titles affected so far include:
Sony’s explanation of the price increase states, “Sony Interactive Entertainment has updated PlayStation Store content prices due to challenging market conditions, including fluctuating exchange rates. As a result, Brazil has seen an increase in PS Store games and add-on content. Pricing decisions vary by region and are based on the current economic environment.”
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One Brazilian PlayStation gamer isn’t buying Sony’s excuse for a price hike and calls it a “joke,” stating, “the value of the dollar when compared to the Brazilian currency is the lowest it has been in a year. Sony is already increasing to a price above what it should be when converted, probably hoping that the dollar will increase again (which no one knows if it will happen) and will earn more from everyone while that doesn’t happen. It also appears thatthey are trying to subsidize prices in some countries to keep prices frozen in the States.”
The poster notes that due to this increase, many people in the country are now opting to purchase entry-level PCs, allowing them to take advantage of Epic Games Store and Steam sales that offer significantly lower prices and regionalized pricing (a feature Sony does not offer).
It doesn’t end there, sadly, as another country has also seen a PlayStation price hike.
Gamers in Turkey are now seeing PlayStation Plus subscription prices increase by 55%, affecting all subscription tiers. According to the Daily Times, the PS Plus price hike has started this month, with the new rates as follows:
The price of the Essential tier hasn’t been disclosed yet, but it’s expected to increase from ₺1,400 to around ₺2,180.
While nothing has been announced for the US, PlayStation products rising in costs in other countries might be a sign that we’re headed that way.
In related news, aside from Nintendo, Microsoftannounced its first $80 first-party gamethis June. For now, it’s only Sony that hasn’t announced any game from the PlayStation division that will reach that price point, but we suspect that’s going to happen sooner rather than later.
