Let’s get this out of the way: Sony raising PlayStation 5 prices nearly five years after launch is not a Sony problem. It’s a money problem. And it’s one we’ve seen coming from miles away.
Sony shares the bad news on their website: Digital Edition PS5 now €499.99 in Europe. £429.99 in the UK. Up to $949.95 NZD in New Zealand. You get the idea.
And yes, if you’re reading this thinking, “Wasn’t the PS5 supposed to get cheaper over time?” — you’re not wrong. That’s what we all grew up with. Tech gets cheaper, better, more accessible. Moore’s Law. Mass production. Globalization. The good times.
But we don’t live in that world anymore. We live in the post-zero-interest-rate world. And in that world, nothing gets cheaper unless it’s absolute garbage. So instead of yelling at Sony, let’s follow the money — literally.
“Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon”
Milton Friedman said that in the 1960s. Still true. Always will be.
He didn’t mean “inflation” like “my lunch is more expensive now.” He meant inflation as a monetary concept. Too much money chasing too few goods. Monetary policy gone wild.
The concept of inflation has been hijacked: your favorite subscription or meal getting more expensive is nót real inflation, it is caused by inflation. By making the money supply bigger. That’s inflation.
What we’re experiencing isn’t normal. It’s not just exchange rates or “supply chains.” It’s structural monetary rot. The same money printing that bailed out zombie banks and pumped up the stock market is now quietly bleeding you on the checkout screen at Sony PlayStation.
The Fed. The ECB. The Bank of Japan. Central banks everywhere created trillions out of thin air, and now the inflation is here. It shows up as $2 eggs, $18 burgers, and €500 consoles — five years after launch.
PlayStation ≠ Price Stability
Let’s be real: Sony doesn’t want to raise prices. They want to sell units. They would like to lock people into their ecosystem. Every console sold is a Trojan horse for digital downloads, subscriptions, DLCs — a lifetime of monetization. Price hikes hurt that strategy. But they had to do it.
Because Sony, like every other company, still buys parts, still pays people, still ships things. And their cost of doing all that? Way higher than it was in 2020.
This isn’t about greed. It’s about survival. A €399.99 price point in 2020 ≠ the same thing in 2025. Because that euro, that pound, that Aussie dollar — it’s been watered down.
Same console. Different money.
If Sony had raised prices in 2020, the backlash would’ve been apocalyptic. But fast-forward five years, and they have cover: inflation. The world accepts it now. Prices just go up. It’s “normal.” Right?
No. It’s not normal. It’s a failure of money. And Sony just plays the game. You’d do the same.
Don’t Hate the Player, Hate the System
The headline you read is: “Sony raises prices on 5-year-old console.”
The headline you should be reading is: “Money loses value so fast that 5-year-old tech gets more expensive.”
This is why Bitcoin exists. It’s not about getting rich. It’s about opting out. It’s about building something that doesn’t break the rules every time politicians screw up.
The PS5 price hike is just another breadcrumb. Another small signal in a very noisy system. Most people will shrug. Some will scream on social media. But a few will zoom out and ask the right question:
“Why is my money worth less every year?”
The Price of Everything, the Value of Nothing
It’s not just consoles. It’s rent, groceries, tuition, healthcare, and now, yes — gaming. And there’s no sign of it stopping. Money is a belief system.
In fact, let’s talk about the real inflation rate. The CPI? That’s a carefully manicured lie. A basket of goods curated to understate what’s happening. What matters is how much harder it is to live. What matters is the feeling you get when your paycheck arrives and it’s already spent.
When was the last time something meaningful got cheaper?
Exactly.
What Now?
- Stop blaming Sony.
- Start asking questions about fiat currency, inflation, and real money. Proof of Work money, for example.
- Opt out. Even if just partially. Learn how to use Bitcoin or other ways to keep your purchasing power safe. Learn why it exists.
- Keep playing, but play smart. Because this isn’t about PlayStations anymore.
Price hikes five years into a console cycle aren’t a bug. They’re the new normal.
But they shouldn’t be. Don’t hate the player. Hate the money game.