Sony PlayStation has recently increased the prices of many of its games on Steam in several countries, with the increases ranging from 10% to doubling the asking price of high-profile games. This unexpected change left gamers surprised, as there was no prior announcement from Sony regarding the hike.
The price increases affected high-profile games such as Marvel’s Spider-Man, God of War, and Returnal. The countries affected include Argentina, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Japan, and South Korea, with the hikes varying considerably according to region. Japan’s prices changed from 5900 yen to 7590 yen, roughly a 30% increase. Canada’s prices increased by roughly 15%, and China’s by about 10%.
However, it is Argentina that experienced the most significant increase, as the price of God of War more than doubled from 4,199 peso to 8,499 pesos, which is more than double the previous price. Other Sony games in that country have also increased by double or roughly two-thirds.
These price hikes come as Sony continues to prioritize its PC games strategy. The console giant said that it plans to release half of its annual releases on PC and mobile by 2024-2025, and that first-party titles will come to PC after an exclusivity period of at least a year.
It remains to be seen how these price increases will affect sales of PlayStation games on Steam. Some gamers have expressed disappointment, while others have pointed out that it is not uncommon for prices to fluctuate in different regions. Sony has yet to comment on the price hike.