Sony refuses to be drawn on whether it could raise the price of PS5
Sony has refused to be drawn on whether current economic pressures could lead the company to increase the price of the PlayStation 5.
In April Sony raised the Japanese prices of a range of consumer electronics products including some cameras, Blu-ray players, home theatre systems, headphones and speakers.
It said the price revisions were being made in light of the ongoing semiconductor shortage and other external factors that have caused the cost of raw materials, manufacturing and distribution to increase.
During its first quarter earnings call on Friday, Sony was asked whether it was considering increasing the PS5 price point in the face of similar market pressures.
“About a potential price increase for the PS5, at this point in time there is nothing specific I can share with you about prices”, came the response from executive deputy president and chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki (transcribed by VGC).
In recent months analysts have forecast that products that rely on semiconductors are set to become more expensive as chip makers increase their prices and the companies that buy them in turn pass on the costs to consumers.
In May, Forrester analyst Glenn O’Donnell told CNBC he expected chip prices to rise about 10-15% in the year ahead.
“Chipmakers face their own increasing supply issues that are exacerbated by the Ukraine war … and demand remains high while supply remains constrained,” he said. “Energy prices are also on a tear, including electricity. Chipmaking requires an enormous amount of electric power.”
In turn, he forecast that manufacturers would increase the price of PCs, cars, toys, consumer electronics, appliances, and many other products.
“Margins are already tight on such products, so they have no choice but to
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