PlayStation 5 (PS5) sales recently experienced a massive spike in the United States. According to retail tracking data, US unit sales and hardware profits reached 2026 highs during the week of March 29 to April 4. However, this surge happened for a frustrating reason. Customers rushed to retail stores to buy a new console before Sony launched massive price increases across the entire PS5 lineup.
PS5 Sales Surge: Panic Buying Before the Hike
The ongoing DRAM shortage crisis continues to impact the gaming industry. Consequently, Sony decided to increase the price of the PS5 to combat the rising cost of essential components. Customers had until April 2 to buy a console before the new pricing took effect. Naturally, gamers who were on the fence quickly secured their hardware.
Currently, the PS5 digital edition starts at $599. This marks a sharp increase from the previous $499 price tag. Furthermore, the PS5 Pro suffered the largest price hike. It now costs $899, up from $749, before any taxes and fees apply. Fortunately, the price hike featured a gradual rollout. In early April, retailers like Costco still offered PS5 bundles for around $599. These deals included a PS5 Slim with a disc drive and an extra DualSense controller.
Dominating the 2026 Console Market
Despite launching in November 2020, the PS5 maintains a remarkably strong sales track. Mat Piscatella of Circana noted that US spending on video game hardware almost doubled compared to the same period in 2025. Furthermore, the PS5 successfully outsold the newly launched Nintendo Switch 2 for the first two consecutive months of 2026. The Switch 2 currently outpaces the original Switch launch timeframe. Therefore, the PS5 is clearly still gaining new users at an impressive rate despite Nintendo’s strong surge.
Future Outlook & Upcoming Games
The current RAM crisis shows no clear signs of slowing down. As a result, console prices could easily continue to increase throughout 2026 and beyond. Console gaming is simply becoming more expensive.
However, new PS5 owners will soon have plenty of options to justify their purchase. The PS5 exclusive title Saros officially launches on April 30. Later this year, major third-party hits like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) VI will also arrive. Ultimately, these upcoming releases will give the PS5 game library a massive boost throughout the year.
