PlayStation Store's digital game price hikes in Brazil and Turkey draw ire from users
Sony has introduced changes to video game pricing in select countries like Brazil and Turkey. The company discreetly raised the prices of digital PlayStation titles, sparking community outrage. This latest price hike comes on the heels of a price bump to their PlayStation Plus subscription service.
The price of a plethora of PlayStation games in Brazil has rocketed to 400 Brazilian Reais (BRL), which is roughly $73 (USD). The recently released Death Stranding 2: On the Beach gets a price hike from R$349.90 to R$399.90, while Astro Bot and Silent Hill have leapt up in price by about 50 BRL each.
To put things into perspective, these prices represent 26% of Brazil’s minimum wage, making it rather difficult for average PS5 owners in the region to add new games to their digital libraries. While the price of physical copies has remained largely unaffected, this could shift due to economic uncertainty in the country. Brazilian video game news website, Gamevicio, compiled a list of affected titles.
| Game | Old Price (BRL) | Old Price (USD) | New Price (BRL) | New Price (USD) |
| WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers | R$249.50 | $44.91 | R$339.90 | $61.18 |
| The Outer Worlds 2 | R$399.90 | $71.98 | R$455.90 | $81.98 |
| Silent Hill | R$349.90 | $62.98 | R$399.90 | $71.98 |
| Ninja Gaiden 4 | R$349.90 | $62.98 | R$399.90 | $71.98 |
| Lost Soul Aside | R$299.90 | $53.98 | R$339.90 | $61.18 |
| Hell is Us | R$299.90 | $53.98 | R$339.90 | $61.18 |
| The Last of Us Part I | R$349.90 | $62.98 | R$399.90 | $71.98 |
| Astro Bot | R$299.90 | $53.98 | $339.90 | $61.18 |
| Demon’s Souls | R$349.90 | $62.98 | R$399.90 | $71.98 |
| Death Stranding 2: On the Beach | R$349.90 | $62.98 | $399.90 | $71.98 |
Following suit, users in Turkey have expressed disdain regarding the price hike on the r/playstation subreddit. The post garnered 467 upvotes and 216 comments before being removed by the moderators.
The upcoming PlayStation exclusive title, Ghost of Yōtei, has an updated digital price tag of 3,449 Turkish Liras, which is 87 USD. To put things into perspective, the average monthly income in Turkey is 7,830, so a digital license for Ghost of Yōtei equates to 20 percent of a person’s salary.
In a statement published by GameVicio, here’s how Sony justified the price change:
Sony Interactive Entertainment has updated the pricing of PlayStation Store content due to challenging market conditions, including fluctuating currency exchange rates. As a result, Brazil has seen an increase in PS Store games and add-on content. Pricing decisions vary by region and are based on the current economic environment.
The gaming community is annoyed, with fans commenting on the price hikes, labeling them “ridiculous” and “unjustified.” Some users have decided to forgo further digital purchases. Comparisons are being drawn to other platforms like Steam, where users are currently enjoying the Steam Summer Sale.
While other countries remain widely unaffected by the select price changes, circumstances might change in the future. The PS5 Digital Edition saw a price surge from $399.99 to $449.99. Economic uncertainty and inflation are on the rise, and the price of video games could surge globally soon, with Nintendo being the first of many to introduce an $80 price tag for some of its first–party titles to accompany the Switch 2.
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