There was a time when games consoles got cheaper the longer they were on sale. Not any more. In April, Sony raised PS5 prices across Europe by €100. A standard PS5 now carries a recommended price of €649.99, the Digital Edition €599.99, and the PS5 Pro a hefty €899.99. Microsoft followed in June, announcing worldwide Xbox price increases from 1 August that push the flagship Series X to $799.99 in the US, with European pricing expected to follow the same direction.
Why prices are going up, not down
It's the same story hitting PC parts: memory. Consoles are full of RAM and flash storage, and AI datacentres are outbidding everyone for it. Microsoft says storage and memory costs have risen more than 2.5x, and expects them to double again by autumn 2027. Sony blamed the wider global economy. Whatever the wording, prices are heading one way, and nobody in the industry is predicting cuts any time soon.
The maths has changed on repairs
A few years ago, if your PS5's HDMI port got wrecked or your disc drive started rejecting games, plenty of people shrugged and put the money towards a new machine. At 2026 prices, that logic has flipped. The most common console faults we see are all very fixable:
- Broken or loose HDMI ports. Usually a knocked cable or a moved console. The port is replaceable, and it's one of the most common PS5 and Xbox repairs there is.
- Overheating and loud fans. Years of dust and dried thermal paste. A deep clean and re-paste brings temperatures (and noise) right down and extends the console's life.
- Disc drives that won't read or accept discs. Often mechanical and repairable rather than terminal.
- Controller drift. Stick modules wear out on PlayStation, Xbox and Switch controllers alike. Replacing them costs a fraction of a new pad, let alone a new console.
When replacing does make sense
Repair isn't always the answer, mind. If a console has serious liquid damage, or the fault is in the main processor, the economics can tip the other way. And if you were planning an upgrade anyway — say from a base PS5 to a Pro — a fault might just bring the decision forward. What I'd want is to know what the repair actually costs before deciding, rather than assuming a fault means a €650 shopping trip.
Before you buy a new one
The component costs behind this year's rises are still climbing, so the machine you already own is worth looking after. HDMI ports, overheating, disc drives and stick drift are all repairable for far less than a replacement. Get a price on the fix first, then decide.
