Tariffs Are Up in the Air, but I Don't Regret Upgrading to the PlayStation 5

CNET

16-05-2025

/CNET
In Sony's earnings call earlier this week, Sony CFO Lin Tao said that the company is considering passing on tariff expenses to the consumer, which could affect the cost of PlayStation 5 consoles. In the same earnings call, Sony President Hiroki Totoki indicated the company is also considering moving some PlayStation 5 production to the US in order to avoid tariffs.
When I upgraded from my base PS5 in April, it was mainly because of looming price increases facing tech products due to President Donald Trump's tariffs. Since then, tariffs on China, where the PS5 is primarily produced, have come down from 145% to 30% -- at least for the next 90 days.
However, there's been a lot of talk recently about the price of games and gaming accessories. When Nintendo revealed the Switch 2's release date, it also announced that some of its games would cost $80 instead of $70. Microsoft also announced that the cost of its Xbox consoles has increased, and its games will cost more starting this holiday season. So, despite the news of potentially lower tariffs and moving manufacturing, I don't regret my decision to upgrade sooner rather than later.
With Nintendo and Microsoft both telling people they'll soon pay more for their games and consoles -- tariffs or no -- Sony probably isn't too far behind.
I originally had planned on waiting until the PlayStation Pro went on sale or was included in Black Friday or Prime Day sales, but the market has shifted unpredictably. It's a safe bet that the PS5 Pro -- which retails for $700 -- will cost even more within the year.
That led me to upgrade from my original, digital-only PS5 to the Pro last month. Here's how I afforded it.
Why I decided to upgrade to the PS5 Pro earlier than expected
The PS5 Pro model improves on its previous iteration with 2TB of storage, an upgraded GPU for better graphics, advanced ray tracing and AI upscaling (called PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution). The console also runs games at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, whereas with its predecessor, you'd usually have to choose between fidelity or performance.
While the improvements are nice to have, outside of the increased storage, they weren't the driving force behind my choice to upgrade now. What really did it was the inevitability of a price increase in the next year or so. I knew I would be upgrading eventually and had the means to do so safely now, so it made sense to make the purchase.
Watch this: Sony PlayStation 5 Pro Review: The Most Advanced Game Console Ever
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When will the PS5 Pro increase in price?
It's hard to give a definitive answer. For the tariff price impact, the US would need to run out of its current supply of consoles before importing more at the higher price, whatever that may be.
Microsoft increased its recommended retail pricing for the Xbox Series S (512GB) -- its most affordable option -- by $80, and it's more expensive Xbox Series X (1TB) by $100. That would mean each console would now cost $380 and $600, respectively.
Sony has yet to officially announce a price increase, but it could be similar to Microsoft's increase.
Microsoft's console price increase took effect May 1, and the company announced its game prices will increase this holiday season. Unless Sony officially says otherwise, I would expect a higher price for consoles around the same time.
Can you buy a PS5 Pro on sale?
Despite being released in early November, I wouldn't expect to find it on sale anywhere. But never say never. Some smaller, independently owned shops could have sales, but if they do, the consoles likely will go quick.
While the console itself may not be offered at a lower price, major retailers like GameStop could offer trade-in deals on consoles and games.
How I afforded the new PS5 Pro
I got a little creative to ensure I didn't overspend.
I traded in my PS5 and PS4 Slim
No matter which payment option you choose, think about trading in your current console if you have one. I opted to trade in my old gaming stuff to GameStop and got a 15% trade-in bonus from a deal GameStop was running at the time. But if you'd rather sell it via Facebook Marketplace or eBay, that's totally viable, too.
My original, digital-only PS5 console, PS4 Slim console and handful of PS4 games dropped the price of the Pro to around $300. While that isn't an insignificant amount, it is easier to digest than the original $700 price tag.
The PS4 console and its games were collecting dust in my closet. While I do see the value in holding on to physical pieces of media, it's not something that I choose to do often. It made more sense for me to turn these unused items into something that I will use often. And I can purchase a disc drive for the PS5 Pro down the line to start collecting games again.
I put the rest on one of my credit cards
I don't currently have any credit cards with an introductory 0% purchase APR, which means I had to pay off the entire purchase by my statement's due date to avoid interest charges. An intro purchase APR would've allowed me to spread payments out over a set number of months without accruing interest.
I used my Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card*, which earns 2% cash back on purchases. So the remaining $300 earned $6 cash back (300 x .02) -- which wasn't a motivator for using it, but I considered it kind of like getting a little bonus discount.
Thinking about upgrading? Consider these tips.
While I used a combination of trade-ins and my credit card, that's not the only way you could make the cost hit a little less.
Apply for a new credit card
Another option would be to apply for a new credit card, one that has an introductory 0% purchase APR. I personally didn't apply for a new credit card because I don't need another one.
I don't recommend applying for a credit card simply to get a new PlayStation, but if there's a card you'll continue to use once you've paid off the cost of the Pro, it's not a bad idea. Just make sure you can afford to pay off the PlayStation before the introductory period ends, or you'll start accruing interest on the remaining balance at the credit card's regular rate, which is typically over 20% APR.
Credit cards can help earn some money back for essential purchases, like the Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express. It has a 15-month introductory 0% purchase APR -- then 20.24% to 29.24% (variable) -- from the date of account opening, and it offers 3% cash back for select U.S. online retailers, U.S. gas stations and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 in spending per year, then 1%). Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit. There's also no annual fee (see rates & fees; terms apply).
So if you used it to buy a PS5 Pro online, you'd earn rewards and be able to pay down the cost over 15 months without worrying about interest. That means you could charge the cost of the Pro and pay about $47 monthly (700/15) to wipe out the balance before the promotional period ends, avoiding any interest charges.
A card's welcome bonus -- depending on the payment threshold needed to earn it -- could also help cut back on costs. For example, the Prime Visa* offers new cardholders an instant $150 Amazon gift card on approval without a spending requirement. It also earns 5% cash back for Amazon purchases, but you'll need to be a Prime member to qualify, which costs $139 annually.
In contrast, the Blue Cash Everyday offers a $200 statement credit after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card within the first six months.
Pro tip
Trying to maximize your credit card rewards by purchasing gift cards to fund your console? Be aware that some credit cards, including American Express and Wells Fargo, categorize gift cards as ineligible purchases for earning rewards.
Use Buy Now, Pay Later
Many places, including Best Buy and Amazon, offer Buy Now, Pay Later plans that let you extend a payment across multiple months, sometimes without charging interest.
For example, Amazon partners with Affirm to let you spread out the purchase across four equal payments every two weeks. For the PS5 Pro, that would mean $700 split into four payments of $175 charged every two weeks.
However, this doesn't account for tax, so it'll likely be a bit more expensive. You will need to fill out an application with Affirm, which will likely result in a soft credit check -- one that doesn't impact your credit score. GameStop also offers third-party BNPL plans via Klarna, Zip and Afterpay.
However, there are a few things to consider when comparing using a BNPL plan and a credit card for this purchase:
You won't earn rewards like you would have had you used a credit card.
You won't build credit for your on-time payments like you would with a credit card, yet you could still damage your credit score if you miss a payment.
Credit cards (like the Blue Cash Everyday) sometimes include purchase protection, which insures your new purchases for 90 to 120 days against damage or theft. You won't get purchase protection with the BNPL plan.
If you wanted to combine strategies, you could start by applying for the Prime Visa. If you're approved, you could use the Amazon gift card to bring down the price of the PS5 Pro to $550. Then use Affirm's plan to make four payments of $137.50 every two weeks.
Was it worth it?
I've had the PS5 Pro for a month, and have really enjoyed the extra hard drive space. I've noticed better performance and fidelity on games like Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Returnal and The Last of Us: Part 2.
However, had my hand not been forced by looming higher prices, I would have been fine waiting for sales to hit. It's also important to note that I was able to buy the Pro without going into credit card debt and saved money by trading in old and unused games and consoles. I don't recommend rushing out to buy a new console if you're going into debt to do it.
If you don't have a base PS5, consider buying used or refurbished to try it out. If you like it, you can always decide later to trade it in toward the Pro.
*All information about the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card and Prime Visa has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.