The Sony Days of Play sale is underway, and it includes the first official price cut for the PS5 Pro. The console has dropped by $50 to $650 in the US for the sale, which runs from May 28 to June 11. This is the first time Sony has discounted its Pro-level console. Retail partners like Amazon are matching the discount as well. If you don't have a PS5 already and can afford the Pro model, it's definitely the way to go to get the best PlayStation experience. It earned a score of 88 in our review, and it might have scored even higher if not for the price and the lack of a built-in disc drive. There are other discounts on consoles in the US and Canada as part of the sale. A bundle of either the standard PS5 or Digital Edition with a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 starts at $400/$510 CAD (for the Digital Edition). Sony says that will save you $120/$160 CAD compared with buying them separately. The PS5 standard and digital versions will be on sale in Europe and Asia too, starting at €400/£340/¥65,980. It’s worth noting that Sony has considered raising the prices of PS5 hardware to offset the cost of tariffs. Microsoft this month jacked up the prices of Xbox consoles recently for that reason. So if you’ve been on the fence about getting a PS5 or PS5 Pro, now might be the time to snap one up. Elsewhere in the Days of Play sale, accessories are getting discounts. You can save on the PlayStation VR2 ($50 off), PlayStation VR2 and Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle ($50 off), Pulse Explore earbuds ($30 off), DualSense Edge controller ($30 off), PlayStation Access controller ($20 off) and the DualSense controller ($20 off). Things like PS5 console covers and external storage drives will get price cuts as well. You will, of course, be able to snap up PS5 games for fewer dollars than usual. MLB The Show 25, the brilliant Astro Bot and Lego Horizon Adventures are among the many first-party games getting discounts. If you haven't played The Last of Us Part II and don't want to wait a year or two before finding out where the story of HBO's adaptation will go after that (somewhat unsatisfying) season finale on Sunday, you might like to snap up the remastered edition of the misery simulator, which will be included in the sale. Hundreds of other games will be featured. The list includes several Assassin's Creed titles, Grand Theft Auto V, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Balatro. On top of that, movies will be on sale through Sony Pictures Core Elsewhere, some PlayStation Plus plans are 33 percent off for new subscribers. Upgrading to the Extra or Premium tiers may cost you a third less than usual as well. That stinks for long-term PS Plus members who’d like to add another year or two (especially after recent price increases in several regions), but that’s standard practice for plans such as these as companies try to boost subscriber numbers. Speaking of which, Sony is adding an extra few games to the PS Plus Game Catalog for Extra, Premium and Deluxe members. They are: Another Crab’s Treasure (PS5, May 29) Skull and Bones (PS5, June 2) Destiny 2: Legacy Collection (PS5 and PS4, June 4) Grand Theft Auto III (PS5 and PS4, June 10) Another Crab's Treasure is a delightful Soulslike that was one of my favorite games of 2024. One of the best things about it is an accessibility option that gives you a giant pistol that can one-shot any enemy. Skull and Bones landed last year after years of delays and I'd say that "at no extra cost" is the best way to try it. Destiny 2: Legacy Collection includes hundreds of hours of gameplay with all of the expansions from the game's Light and Darkness Saga, except for the last chapter, The Final Shape. As it happens, the latest batch of monthly PS Plus games (which all PS Plus subscribers can claim and keep in their libraries as long as they maintain the membership) includes Destiny 2: The Final Shape, which will be available on May 30 for PS4 and PS5. The other titles, which you can claim starting on June 3, are NBA 2K25 (PS5 and PS4), last year's remake of Alone in the Dark (PS5) and the Jet Set Radio-esque Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (PS5 and PS4). That's a solid lineup! In addition, two bona fide all-timers are joining the Classics Catalog on June 5 for PS Plus Premium/Deluxe subscribers. Myst and its sequel Riven will be available to members on PS4 and PS5 at no extra cost. Premium/Deluxe subscribers will have access to two more game trials from May 28: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (PS5) and Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (PS5 and PS4). Update, May 28, 12:53PM ET: Sony pushed back the date that it's adding Destiny 2: The Final Shape to the PS Plus Monthly games list from May 28 to May 30. This story has been updated accordingly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps5-pro-is-50-off-in-sonys-days-of-play-sale-144517873.html?src=rss

Menu Home News Hardware Gaming Mobile Finance Deals Reviews How To Wccftech Deals Sony’s Most Powerful Console, The PlayStation 5 Pro With 2TB Of Storage Can Be Yours At $50 Off On Amazon If You Act Fast, Available For $649.99 Omar Sohail • May 31, 2025 at 03:59am EDT The PlayStation 6 will not be out for a couple of years, at least that is what Sony has hinted, and if you have been itching to experience those visually breathtaking titles at a higher resolution and framerates than what the PlayStation 5 was capable of achieving, allowing us to redirect you to the PlayStation 5 Pro. The latter ships with a 2TB SSD, so you do not have to worry about storage when you power on the console, but here is a sweetener; you also do not have to worry about paying extra. That is because the PS5 Pro is currently going for $649.99 on Amazon after a $50 discount, making it one of the extremely rare occasions that a price cut has been observed on Sony’s latest and greatest hardware. Of course, before you ask, this is the Digital Edition, but if you happen to have discs lying around that you want to insert, then you can reinvest those $50 savings into a Disc Drive, which currently retails for $79 on Amazon. The PS5 Pro is Sony’s first console to support the company’s PSSR upscaling technology, which helps to bump that framerate while maintaining that crisp image quality. Best of all, the increased firepower of the PlayStation 5 Pro gives game developers additional headroom to incorporate visual features such as ray tracing, introducing a new level of immersion. These capabilities will ensure that you have one heck of an experience in titles like GTA 6, which is said to launch next year in May. Included in the packaging is an HDMI cable, along with a pre-installed digital copy of Astro’s Playroom. Alongside the PS5 Pro, Amazon has also discounted the PlayStation DualSense Edge Wireless Controller by 15 percent, and it can be yours for $169. Keep in mind that since these price cuts have been introduced at the same time, there is a possibility that you might not be able to take advantage of these offers at a later time, so it is prudent that you get a hold of the PlayStation 5 Pro as early as possible. Get the PS5 Pro from Amazon - $649.99 (7 percent off) See the latest technology deals that Amazon has discounted today See what else Amazon has discounted today Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox Follow us on Topics Sections Company Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com © 2025 WCCF TECH INC. 700 - 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Soneium, a blockchain started by Sony and Startale Group, announced the launch of Sleepagotchi Lite on the Line Mini app.Read More

It seems like Sony plans to step into the handheld segment soon, and the company is rumored to be working on an "in-house" chip project to power their next portable device. Sony's Next-Gen "PlayStation" Handheld Rumored To Be Powered by a Custom AMD Chip, Featuring Samsung's Cutting-Edge 2nm Process Sony has shown an intention to expand its product offerings from consoles to other segments, and the PlayStation Portal is an excellent example of this. While it isn't an exact handheld device, it does indicate that Sony is interested in this particular market. Now, according to the renowned leaker @Jukanlosreve, it is claimed that for Sony's next portable device, the firm is considering utilizing an "in-house" chip that is labelled as Project "Juptier" and interestingly, the chip will be developed by AMD and will use Samsung's high-end SF2P 2nm node, marking an interesting combination. Now, it is important to take this rumor with a grain of salt since Sony has been rumored to be developing several "extraordinary" projects that never saw the light of day. In terms of a handheld device, it was rumored that the PlayStation handheld would be like a "mini-PS5" according to Digital Foundry, who claimed that the device won't be able to run PlayStation 5 games natively, and will instead require scaled-down titles similar to Nintendo's approach. If this handheld rumor actually becomes true, this device would become the successor to the iconic PS Vita, which was released thirteen years ago. The custom SoC approach makes sense here, since Sony can fine-tune it to bring impressive performance/watt figures, making it a more effective solution. Opting for AMD also works out for Sony, given that Team Red is known for its powerful APUs in the handheld segment, and the firm has a long history in developing the PS5 lineup as well, so it is safe to say that the rumors aren't far-fetched. In terms of employing Samsung's 2nm process, well, this is something that only time will decide, but we know that the Korean giant is progressing with its node, so an integration seems like a great possibility. For now, Sony is certainly planning the launch of a portable device, but discussions are underway, and we can expect a formal unveiling by 2028. Deal of the Day

PS6 is Sony’s chance to wipe the slate clean and forget the PS5 ever happened – Reader’s Feature GameCentral Published May 18, 2025 1:00am Will the PlayStation 6 be a continuation or a change of direction? (Sony/Metro) A reader tries to be optimistic that the PS6 will be a chance for Sony to change direction and put the mistakes of the PS5 behind it. I remember when the future of video games was just a question of how good the graphics were going to be. Nowadays, it’s worrying that developers die of old age before finishing their games (literally with Kojima) and hoping there’s still a market for the games you like and not just endless live service cash grabs. PlayStation 5 has beaten the Xbox Series X/S so easily this generation that Microsoft has all but given up making consoles, but it doesn’t feel like a victory. Sony has spent the majority of the PlayStation 5’s life trying and failing to make live service games. The only hit they’ve had is the only one they didn’t make themselves and everything else has either been a flop, has been cancelled, or still isn’t out (and is probably about to get cancelled). Now we hear the first rumours about the PlayStation 6 and a portable device, and I just hope that they’re going to use that as a way to draw a line under the PlayStation 5 and promise to never do anything like that again. The latest rumour for the PlayStation 6 also suggested that a third Horizon Zero Dawn game might be a launch title for it. I’ve no strong feelings about that either way but I am at least relieved that they seem to be starting off with a proper game and not the multiplayer spin-off or Concord 2 or something. But the problem is the PlayStation 5 started off fine, it had a good launch line-up and the first two years were exactly what you’d expect. It’s only after that, when game budgets rose and Sony realised it made more money from microtransactions than games, that that the problems came. If you get a hit live service game then it’s a licence to print money, if people are also buying skins and cosmetics at the same time. But it’s like winning the lottery; you’ve got a very low chance of getting a hit and if you don’t win you lose the money you paid to play in the first place. I find it interesting that Microsoft, who are super rich, have relatively little interest in live service games but Sony, who are a normal company, are obsessed with it. And are still obsessed with it, despite knowing their core fans hate it and that it’s not working, in the most public and embarrassing way possible. But as has been pointed out recently they’re not doing it because of us, they’re doing it to impress investors, who care nothing about games, just the infinite profit dream that is a successful live service game (never mind that nothing lasts forever, as Apex Legends is proving at the moment). What I hope, and perhaps I’m being naïve, but what I hope is that the PlayStation 6 will be the point at which everything changes again. Sony can switch tracks, back to how they used to be, and forget all the current mistakes. More Trending I don’t know how likely that is but strangely the idea of a portable gives me hope. You can’t release that and hope for it to be a success just by playing live service games on it, it’s got to have proper games. That’s the way I see it anyway, and I hope Sony does too. By reader Dashker It certainly has been a strange generation forPlayStation (Sony Interactive Entertainment) The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email. GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

When it comes to headphones, we can’t shut up about Sony’s top-tier buds and over-the-head options. In each iteration, the company adds new features, develops better technology and hones its strengths in portable audio, and three years on from the WH-1000XM5, the sixth-gen model does it yet again. Sony’s overhauled its flagship headphones in all the right ways. The WH-1000XM6 sound better, with improved active noise cancellation and convenient features that match the best-sounding and the most feature-packed rivals. You should definitely check out Billy Steele's full review. The headphones' only major challenge remains a non-clunky naming convention. — Mat Smith Get Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! Even more tech news you might have missed Nothing teases the ‘all-in’ Phone 3 with a flagship price Mission: Impossible should never have gone full sci-fi The Lucid Gravity is the coolest three-row EV on the market DJI Mavic 4 Pro review: A new standard for consumer drones Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge hands-on: Less smartphone, more compromises Android gets a young, vibrant makeover It’s bright, it’s brash, it’s… bouncy? It’s Android 16. Google As spoiled by Google itself, Android is getting a major visual refresh. Dubbed Material 3 Expressive, it’s the latest evolution of the Material You design, adding customizable color swatches and, I guess, spicier fonts. Google says the Quick Settings menu can now fit more actions, and there is an addition of live-updating notifications, similar to Apple’s Live Activities. In Android 16 (and even Wear OS 6), expect more animation between menus and items, while notifications will jiggle and offer haptic responses to your touch. Google is basing a lot of these tweaks on research: The company claims up to 87 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds prefer expressive design — a term hard to define. There’s a lengthy post on Google’s design blog if you want to get into all that. Continue reading. The Xperia 1 VII is here, with some Walkman inspiration Sony still makes phones! Sony Sony has now folded in Hi-Fi sound from its Walkman series, as well as the company’s Bravia screen tech and Alpha camera smarts. The Xperia 1 VII has launched quietly with an array of new audio features, including high-end Walkman components. Unlike other smartphone makers, Sony has kept its headphone jack and improved wired sound via a premium-grade integrated circuit. The Xperia 1 VII supports Sony’s DSEE Ultimate AI sound upscaling technology, along with 360 Reality audio or Dolby Atmos formats. The latest Xperia also features a new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera with a good-sized 1/1.56-inch sensor, significantly improving the specs of the Xperia 1 VI’s ultrawide. That’s on top of the main 48MP 1/1.35-inch 24mm camera and a 12MP telephoto zoom. Sony is also trying to differentiate its smartphones through camera features, with improved Bokeh mode, real-time tracking, and even real-time eye autofocus. It claims low-light shooting is “in line with full-frame cameras, " which is bold! I’m wondering what other parts of Sony’s corporate machinery it will integrate next. Maybe Aibo dog ears? Continue reading. One year of Peacock Premium is on sale for only $25 The Memorial Day deal knocks off $55. Want a cheaper sub for Peacock? You’ll need a code, but if you input SPRINGSAVINGS at checkout you’ll get $55 off the standard annual price of the Premium plan. It does include ads, however. The big draw for this particular streaming service is likely the long-awaited spinoff of The Office, called The Paper. That premieres in September, so you’ll be primed and ready to watch (and rewatch). Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-123515822.html?src=rss

It’s flagship wireless headphones season, and Sony has revealed its highly anticipated WH-1000XM6—a pair of over-ear noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones three or five or even nine years in the making, depending on how you look at it. I’ve had a few days to go hands-on with the WH-1000XM6, so here are my first impressions. The Sony WH line has long been an excellent all-rounder, a perennial best-for-most recommendation (the XM10004 was one of the first things I reviewed for this very publication). So, if you’re familiar with Sony’s headphones since at least 2022 (and many commuters and frequent flyers will be), you’ll recognize most aspects of the new 1000XM6’s aesthetic. With its vegan leatherette-wrapped cylinder of a headband and matte, touch-sensitive (and fingerprint-friendly) earcups, the 1000XM6’s build is 95 percent 1000XM5—an gentle evolution from the last model rather than a revolution. But it does address the biggest complaint of the previous generation: the lack of foldability. That’s right, hinges—last seen on 2020’s 1000XM4—are back. And a folding mechanism means a more compact carrying case, with a new magnetic lock so no inconvenient zippers to get stuck or wear out. Despite the similarities to the 1000XM5, there are many small, purposeful tweaks blended into the 1000XM6 chassis. The headband is a touch wider, flared toward the back for both stability and as a directional cue on how to wear them. Similarly, the asymmetrical earcups (which now have replaceable pleather cushions) feature the power button—now a round, recessed button rather than raised tab—on the lower left as another indicator. And that’s accompanied by a tiny tactile marker in the rear center of the housing, just in case you weren’t sure. Point being, Sony has addressed long-term comfort and portability and made it easier than ever to get the headphones to your head correctly, whether you’re sprawled out at home or feeling cramped in basic economy. Once on, the clamping power is higher than the 1000XM5 but not excessive, and the weight is an easily manageable 254g (for comparison, the AirPods Max weigh 385g). The Sony WH-1000XM5 and Sony WH-1000XM6 (in the case and on the right) shown side by side. The sound So, what should you expect once the 1000XM6 is on. Much is being made of the tuning, done through a collaboration with material science and mix engineers. The 1000XM6 features a 30mm driver, consistent with the 1000XM5, but featuring new components. And it’s not the size, it’s how you use it. When asked about the choice of materials in the driver units, Sony Electronics’ Shimo Hiroaki commented, “There are various advantages to using carbon in the dome [diaphragm] of headphones. For example, high rigidity allows the diaphragm to move precisely as intended, resulting in less sound distortion. Additionally, the lightweight yet rigid carbon material can respond quickly to vibrations in the high-frequency range.” That translates to a more crisp, articulate, authoritative sound. The high-frequency reproduction is further refined by the use of a perforated bobbin—an unassuming support in the voice coil that can extend and smooth response through resonance dampening and controlled airflow. As for the voicing, it’s informed by Grammy-winning and -nominated engineers from Battery Studios, Sterling Sound, and Coast Mastering. Following in the “as the creator intended” messaging of the BRAVIA home entertainment launches of the last couple of years, Sony drew on internal resources (in this case Sony Music Entertainment facilities and personnel) to achieve a more “truthful” house sound. While I don’t know all their target curve or individual signal chains, per se, this crew of new release, catalogue, and immersive mastering engineers brings a wealth of golden ears. Beyond the acoustic architecture and artistic input, digital signal processing (DSP) plays its part. Sound quality starts with the quality of signal, and Multipoint Bluetooth 5.3 with support for AAC, LDAC, and LC3 lets the 1000XM6 connect to your device of choice in the most optimal way. There’s no support for aptX Adaptive, however, and there won’t be as LDAC is Sony’s proprietary high-resolution codec. (While I keep an Android smartpone and several DAPs around for testing because I believe LDAC at 990kbps is perceivably superior to AAC on an iPhone, YMMV. And thanks to all of the software efforts on both ends, AAC isn’t bad, I’m just an acknowledged snob—if I can stream uncompressed audio, I don’t want to bottleneck it as much as possible. The ultimate solution would be to use the 3.5mm headphone jack, if you have a source that supports it.) The result of all this fine-tuning? On its default settings, the 1000XM6 is less bassy, more taut than its predecessor. Listening to the deep, post-disco house of “Blind (Frankie Knuckles Remix)” by Hercules & Love Affair, the kick drum is less fuzzy than on the 1000XM5. The groove of the bassline is more defined, the edges of the brass section more clearly etched, the lush piano chords allowed to billow and breath. While the melancholy yet uplifting vocal from Anohni sustains its intensity more effortlessly. It’s more soulful, more propulsive, cleaner and more detailed compared to previous Sony drive units. Undoubtedly enjoyable. As to whether it’s more “natural” and an authentic connection to the source, that will require more close listening and A/B testing with other top-tier wireless headphones to firmly determine. And, as always, the Sony app provides ample ways to tweak the sonic signature. There’s the familiar DSEE Extreme for upscaling compressed sources and a 10-band EQ (versus the 1000XM5’s 5-band) thanks to the upgraded processor—the first new chipset in several generations. Noise cancellation To test the noise cancellation, now supported by 12 microphones (up from 8 in the 1000XM5), I would have liked to have taken a flight. While timing didn’t allow that, I had the next best thing: a flight path. I live within walking distance of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (the most infamous airport at the moment after Newark, unfortunately). And this means almost constant rumbling roars from every trajectory (reinforced by the railroad tracks between me and the runway). You learn to tune it all out naturally, but being able to cancel it digitally is even better. So, with DCA and Amtrak as my backdrop, I went on a walk. At first, I thought something was wrong. Not only was the noise not being cancelled, but I could hear birds chirping clear as day. Looking at the app, I realized I’d left Adaptive Sound Control on and Ambient Sound—jacked up to the top level (20)—had triggered when I started moving. Then, as I was checking the settings, the background suddenly went black. Apparently, it didn’t take a lot of standing still to send the headphones back into a focused state. So, that’s a quality passthrough mode proof of concept, if your day involves more interaction and/or you want more automation. And there are customizable Scenes to help you dictate when silence and situational awareness should be prioritized, as well as what music service should be used. Back to the planes. What planes? Toggling between Ambient Sound and Noise Canceling instantly took the stretched thunder of ascent from a whoosh to a whisper. And with music playing, it disappeared all together. Would the effect be even more pronounced if I didn’t wear glasses? Would it be less pronounced if I had hair? Sony claims no, as the new 7x faster QN3 processor adapts ANC to compensate for hats, air pressure, eyewear, etc. As a near-sighted bald, I appreciate my head coverings and corrective lenses being considered, even if I’ll never know what part a hairstyle plays. What I do know is that what I hear, or didn’t hear in this case, reinforces the XM series’ reputation as a preferred travel companion and I look forward to an actual in-transit test. And a quick dip into a coffeeshop on the way home gave the impression that the broad spectrum of ambient noise is being addressed, including chatter and clatter. I them sat through my wife’s work check-in without the need to sign an NDA; I couldn’t hear a thing (the deafheaven album playing surely helped). Call quality The Sony WH line has always bridged the gap between headphones and headset for business leaders, and the latest iteration improves directivity for when you just have to be in on that meeting but you’re off-site. On a recent call testing the XM5 versus the XM6, the person I was speaking with commented that my voice on the XM6 sounded clearer and cleaner, particularly in the sibilants (think the many, many times you make an s, z, sh, or zh sound). The XM6’s combination of six beamforming mics—two more than the XM5—plus AI noise reduction/voice isolation regulated all my higher amplitude utterances while exhibiting lower compression artifacts. If you’re someone who likes to dictate texts, notes, etc., these will work well to ensure intelligibility. Battery life and charging capability One last new feature of note is that you can use the 1000XM6 while charging it via USB-C cable, though charging will stop at 80 percent when in use in order to reduce battery wear. To achieve a 100 percent charge, turn off the headphones. And if the battery is running dry but you’d rather not remained tethered, a three-minute charge can give the 1000XM6 three hours of juice. As for the total run-time advertised, it’s the same as the 1000XM5: 30 hours with ANC off, 400 with ANC on. And an effective wear sensor helps conserve that. The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones are available to order now for $449.99 in Black, Platinum Silver, and Midnight Blue.

Contrary to the White House's assertions, we consumers are indeed footing the bill for all these tariffs. Companies from across industries have been stopping sales or raising prices over the past month or so, and the chaos continues on. It doesn't help that the actual tariff situation is so volatile. President Donald Trump kept escalating the tariffs against China in particular, all the way up to 145%. Then, the administration made a deal with China to suspend most of the tariffs until August, but some tariffs still remain. As such, companies are scrambling to figure out the best way to protect their bottom lines and shareholder values—part of that strategy involves raising costs.Gaming is no exception to this reality. Many gaming companies manufacture their components in China, which means their devices face tariffs if they ship to the U.S. Here's where the situation currently stands with the biggest gaming companies.MicrosoftXboxes are apparently an appreciating asset. On May 1, Microsoft raised the prices on all Xbox consoles, and some Xbox accessories—including controllers and headsets. These price hikes were actually pretty steep: Both the standard and digital Series X models jumped by $100, while the 2TB model jumped a whopping $130. On April 30, Series X with 2TB of internal storage would have set you back $600. Now, you're out $730.Games aren't wholly exempt here, either, but the news is a bit better: Existing titles will keep the same MSRP they did before the price hikes, while select new titles will cost $80 this holiday season.To be fair, Microsoft doesn't directly attribute the tariffs to these raised prices, instead referring to "market conditions and the rising cost of development." However, seeing as tariffs are the driving force of current market conditions, it seems a safe assumption that Microsoft is recouping some increased costs due to these import fees. SonySony, too, raised the prices on its flagship consoles—but only in select markets. The company increased the price of certain PS5 units in Europe, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The price increases, as well as which console received them, depends on the region: Europe, for example, only saw an increase on the PS5 Digital Edition by €50, while the disc drive PS5 remained the same. Australia and New Zealand, on the other hand, were not so lucky, seeing price increases on both. New Zealand has the highest MSRP for a PS5 on the list at NZD $949.95 (or roughly $560 USD at this time). However, that doesn't mean those of us in the U.S. are safe from PS5 price increases. As reported by The Verge, Sony says that it expects tariffs to cost the company 100 billion yen ($681 million), and is considering both relocating manufacturing to the U.S., as well as raising costs for consumers. Sony is a massive company, so that could involve raising prices on products other than PS5. However, the lack of a definitive answer on which products would be affected means that Sony may raise PS5 prices in the future.NintendoHere's the good news: Nintendo did not raise the MSRP of the Switch 2, nor any of its existing Switch consoles. The Switch 2 will remain $450, or $500 if you buy the Mario Kart World bundle. However, Nintendo has reacted to the tariffs in other ways. First, it paused preorders for the Switch 2 in the U.S. and Canada, "to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions." We already know it ultimately kept the Switch prices the same, but once Nintendo picked a new preorder date, it also announced new price increases for Switch 2 accessories. The Pro Controller is now $15 more than it was, and while the Joy-Con 2 controllers are only $5 more, they now cost an astounding $95. The Switch 2 camera is also $55, when originally it was $50. The rest of the Switch 2 accessories remain the same. PC gamingPC gaming is a more complicated beast than console gaming. Unless you opt for a gaming laptop, you most likely are looking to build your own PC, which requires purchasing a number of parts—many of which are made in China. Luckily computers, phones, and PC cases were exempt from the full 145% tariff, but not other PC components.According to PCMag, most PC parts haven't been hit that hard by tariffs yet—at least when it comes to April prices. The outlet observed that PC cases, processors, and memory kits all had modest increases ($10, $15, and $3, respectively), while a liquid cooler unit actually dropped in price by $60.However, they did find a concerning price increase when it came to one particularly important component: graphics cards. In January, the MSI SHADOW GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card cost $750. In April, it cost $840, a $90 increase. PCMag found a similar trend across other popular graphics cards, with price increases ranging from $250 all the way to $750. Graphics cards had been in hot demand long before Trump was even elected, largely due to their use in processing AI. Increased tariffs are now only putting more pressure on that product category. Gaming laptops largely haven't taken much of a hit yet, but Razer was one of the companies to pause direct sales to the U.S. last month. You can't predict the futureThis is where the market stands now, but there's no telling what will change in the coming days, weeks, and months. Sony could raise PS5 prices in the U.S. tomorrow; Nintendo could decide that the OG Switch needs to cost more now, too. Nothing is certain, but one thing seems reasonable to assume: The prices you see today are the best they're going to be for a while. If you're holding out for the Xbox Series X to drop in cost, or crossing your fingers that Mario Kart World won't actually cost $80 on release, you're probably not going to be happy with the future.Anything's possible, but given where we are with tariffs and global markets, prices only seem to be going up. Remaining the same is perhaps the best we can hope for—unless you're willing to give the secondhand market a try.

Sony might not be the first name that comes to mind in today’s smartphone world, but every so often, it drops a device that reminds fans why it’s still a force worth watching. The new Xperia 1 VII is a perfect example: a phone that feels like a love letter to Sony’s greatest hits, all wrapped up in a sleek, familiar frame. It’s a device for those who want the best of both worlds: cutting-edge performance and a sprinkle of nostalgia. Back in 2018, Sony’s then-CEO Kaz Hirai hinted at the brand’s long game: smartphones weren’t the end goal but a gateway to a broader, smarter ecosystem. Fast forward, and the Xperia 1 VII arrives as a showcase of everything Sony does best. It’s less about fighting for market share and more about giving loyal fans, audio buffs, and camera aficionados a playground for the company’s signature tech. Designer: Sony The Xperia 1 VII’s display is a stunner, thanks to Sony’s BRAVIA TV heritage. Whether you’re binging shows, editing photos, or just scrolling through your feed, those crisp colors and deep contrasts are hard to beat on a pocket-sized device. When it comes to music, Sony leans into its Walkman DNA, loading the phone with top-tier audio hardware and support for high-res playback that makes any playlist shine. Photography is where this phone really flexes. The rear camera setup carries the Alpha branding, with Exmor sensors fine-tuned for mobile. Advanced AI features like auto-framing, subject recognition, and human pose detection work behind the scenes to make sure you nail every shot, whether you’re snapping candid moments or something more creative. There’s also Google-powered AI magic, including Gemini and Circle to Search, to round out the smart experience. What really makes the Xperia 1 VII stand out, however, is its refusal to ditch old-school essentials. While most flagships have waved goodbye to the 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD slots, Sony keeps both alive. Audiophiles can use their favorite wired headphones for the purest sound, and shutterbugs or binge-watchers get up to 2TB of expandable storage for apps, media, and endless photos. It’s a nod to the features that matter to loyal users, even if the phone’s overall design has barely changed since the Xperia 1 III. Sony hasn’t ignored sustainability either. The Xperia 1 VII uses recycled materials for all its plastic parts, quietly helping the planet without making a fuss. For anyone who’s missed the comfort of classic features but still wants the latest and greatest in display, audio, and camera tech, the Xperia 1 VII is proof that you really can have it all, no compromises required. The post Sony Xperia 1 VII is a walking advertisement of Sony’s greatest technologies first appeared on Yanko Design.