Sales of the PlayStation 5 spiked in the US in early April, according to data from a retail tracking service. However, the reason why PS5 sales in the US trended upward was for an unfortunate reason, as customers rushed to stores to purchase a new console before Sony increased the prices of the PS5 lineup across the board.
Despite being on the market since November 2020, sales of the PS5 have kept a similar sales track to its predecessor, the PS4. Despite the surging sales of the Nintendo Switch 2 system, the PS5 outsold the Switch 2 for two consecutive months to start off 2026. While Sony’s console is still holding a sizable market share, the Switch 2 is still outpacing the original Switch when comparing launches at similar timeframes. Ergo, the PS5 is still gaining new users at a decent pace despite a strong surge from Nintendo.
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The PS5 Price Hike Caused Customers To Buy One Ahead of Time
Unsurprisingly, US weekly unit and $ sales of PlayStation 5 hardware reached 2026 highs during the week ending April 4th, as price increases loomed. US spending on video game hardware for the week nearly doubled when compared to the same week a year ago. Source: Circana Retail Tracking Service
— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) 2026-04-14T12:21:16.462Z
Given that the ongoing DRAM shortage crisis has impacted the gaming industry, customers that were on the fence about getting a PS5 did not hesitate to get one. According to Mat Piscatella of Circana, US weekly unit sales and profits of PS5 hardware in the US had reached 2026 highs during the week of March 29 to April 4. Piscatella noted that US spending on video game hardware compared to the same point in 2025 had nearly doubled in 2026. However, customers’ hands may have been forced when it came to the PS5 sales spike. With Sony increasing the price of the PS5 due to the rising cost of essential components, customers who wanted a PS5 had until April 2 to do so before Sony’s price hikes went into effect.
As of this writing, the price of a new PS5 console now starts at $599 for the digital edition, compared to the previous $499 price point. The PS5 Pro saw the largest price hike of the lot, as it now costs $899, up from $749, before any taxes and fees are applied. The PS5’s price hike was largely a gradual rollout, as some social media users indicated that some notable retailers still had stock at the previous price points. In early April, PS5 bundles at Costco were still going for around $599, which included a PS5 slim with a disc drive and an extra DualSense controller as part of the deal.
It’s Not Easy Being a Console Gamer in 2026
The fact that users chose to buy a PS5 console to beat out an imminent price hike is an unfortunate testament to how expensive console gaming has become in 2026. With the RAM crisis showing no clear signs of slowing down soon, it is possible that console prices could still increase throughout 2026 and beyond. It remains to be seen when customers will start to see some relief.
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New PS5 users looking for games to play will have plenty of options in 2026’s video game launch slate. With Saros arriving on April 30 as a PS5 exclusive title, and major third-party hits like Grand Theft Auto 6 arriving later in the year, the PS5’s game library will get a major boost throughout 2026.