PS5 Digital Edition Reportedly Gets Surprise Downgrade in Europe

Video game consoles typically become cheaper the longer they’ve been on the market, but the current generation has been the exception to that rule due to various factors. Over in Europe, prospective PS5 owners might have to settle for a Sony console that offers less, as it has been reported that the internal SSD capacity is being shrunk so that Sony can avoid raising the price of the hardware yet again.

According to leaker Billbil-kun, the PS5 Digital Edition SSD will shrink from 1TB to 825GB starting with the next console chassis-E revision when it’s available to purchase on September 13. As Billbil-kun noted, PS5 Digital Edition consoles originally sold for €399 when they launched in 2020, with the price increasing to €449 and €499 (around $582) eventually. The regular PS5 console with a disc drive is expected to retain its 1TB SSD.

This year has been expensive for anyone looking to purchase a PS5 console. In April, Sony announced price increases for Digital and Standard Edition PS5 consoles across Europe, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, and in August, the price of every PS5 console system went up by $50 in the US. At the time, Sony said it was continuing to “navigate a challenging economic environment,” and it had to pass the cost on to consumers.

Analyst Daniel Ahmad noted that higher tariff rates on countries where the PS5 is produced–China (30%), Japan (15%), Vietnam (20%), and Malaysia (19%)–had forced its hand, following the announcement of new tariffs by US President Donald Trump earlier this year.

This isn’t an isolated case either. Microsoft announced price hikes for its Xbox consoles in May, and Nintendo hasn’t ruled out the possibility of raising the price of the Switch 2 in the future, following the increase to Switch 2 accessory prices.