PS5 price hike halves UK May sales; outsells Xbox by 400

Sony’s PlayStation 5 saw unit sales in the UK fall about 50% in May after the company raised the console’s price. The PS5 still outsold Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S by roughly 400 units, while Nintendo’s Switch 2 was the month’s best-selling console.

Industry tracking shows Xbox Series X|S sales rose about 12% in the same period, coinciding with growing interest ahead of the release of Forza Horizon 6. Retailers reported that some consumers purchased PS5 consoles before the price increase took effect.

Sony attributed the price increase to rising component costs. Retail data indicate a surge of pre-increase purchases followed by lower monthly volumes for the PS5.

To support revenue beyond hardware, Sony has promoted new accessories including a dedicated arcade stick and a 27-inch PlayStation-branded monitor, and has emphasised 12-month PlayStation Plus subscriptions.

The PS5 generation has faced supply shortages during the pandemic, import tariffs and higher component prices. These factors have affected production costs, retail pricing and Sony’s progress toward a lifetime sales target near 100 million units.

Market trackers will continue to publish monthly hardware figures to measure whether current price levels, upcoming game releases or promotional offers alter demand in key regions.