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[DenchDeckard]

What will you do? Quit gaming? Go play Fortnite on mobile?
These threats are of no substance and companies know that.

Buy second hand consoles and PC tech pre owned. Plenty of great deals out there. Stop giving the companies money directly and look at alternatives.

Plenty of pre owned consoles from this gen out there now and PC tech that is a year old or more is still perfectly viable. I know this wont work for everyone but if enough people did it, it would send a message.

Buy pre owned games on disk if you have a drive.

Honestly, people have enjoyed pointing the finger at gamepass but the entire industry is unsustainable. Games with budgets we have seen are not sustainable, easily as badly as a sub service. These execs keep making bone idled decisions and its left to us to pick up the slack.

If fairgames or Marathon gets cancelled this is undoubtedly the worst managed playstation and xbox generation in history. Theres less games, and those that come out are often broken at launch and are quite frankly average to good at best. This is not exclusive to MS its every first party pub outside of Nintendo.

Fuck em until they give us what we want / deserve for years of support of our hobbie.

My opinion of course.

 

[Haint]

This uninformed nonsense again.

[Hideki Yasuda of Toyo Securities]

You understand what the words "speculation, "estimates" and "believe" mean, yes? You also understand securities analyst very famously have worse track records than a coin flip. For example noted Bozo Michael Pachter was/is a securities analyst.

 

[Topher]

The same people who were saying it was patriotic to pay more for gas a few years ago are now crying about having to pay more for their vidya, lol.

lol….come on man. How is that not an entirety made up statement?

 

[Felessan]

Buy second hand consoles and PC tech pre owned. Plenty of great deals out there. Stop giving the companies money directly and look at alternatives.

Buying second hand by the economy will have little impact.
To sell you a second hand console someone has to give up gaming or to buy something else (usually the newer thing). You shifting to second hand increase demand and so prices for second hand. Higher prices for second hand means lower upgrade cost, making it more accessible and driving up demand for first hand purchases.
So even for second hand goods due to complex dependencies first hand goods doesn't suffer lot.

If fairgames or Marathon gets cancelled this is undoubtedly the worst managed playstation and xbox generation in history. Theres less games, and those that come out are often broken at launch and are quite frankly average to good at best. This is not exclusive to MS its every first party pub outside of Nintendo.

Less first party games in a strict sense and it mostly affects Sony
Overall, third party games and live service games included, this gen is very good game-wise and quality-wise.
Return of Japanese and rise of Chinese and Korean gaming was glorious this gen. Some other places like French, Poland, Russia etc also picking up pace

 

[Lunarorbit]

Who knew the price increase of ps5 would make gaffers unite against tariffs and the dildo would started all this.

Fuck this gen. Sony....Jesus christ man, wtf is wrong with you?

 

[ecosse_011172]

You understand what the words "speculation, "estimates" and "believe" mean, yes? You also understand securities analyst very famously have worse track records than a coin flip. For example noted Bozo Michael Pachter was/is a securities analyst.

I'll take the calculations of Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda over Haint from McDonalds or whatever...

 

[Haint]

I'll take the calculations of Toyo Securities analyst Hideki Yasuda over Haint from McDonalds or whatever...

I mean there is a reason US pricing details were conspicuously delayed past the direct, why media couldn't get a straight answer from Nintendo Reps, and why it was more expensive than literally every expectation.

 

[ecosse_011172]

I mean there is a reason US pricing details were conspicuously delayed past the direct, media couldn't get a straight answer from Nintendo Reps, and why it was more expensive than literally every expectation.

That reason is tariffs.

 

[Haint]

That reason is tariffs.

Correct, hence why I said they are already baked into the S2 price, and also why Nintendo has since hiked everything but Switch 2. It has already had an extra $50 tacked on from day 1.

 

[Gona_B_L8]

who is actually buying a new ps5, 5 years into its lifecycle? Whoever wanted one bought one, whoever needs a new/ second/ repalcement buys it cheap second hand etc. Yes, there are still the uninformed parents/ grandparents who are buying these for occasions, but there are so few that it doesn't really matter in the overall picture does it? Unless i got it completely wrong? I get the ps5 is currently at what, 80+ mil sold? When sony releases the next number in 2-3 years and its at 100mil, 20 mil bought it at full price as sony only counts new sales, but surely people will wait for deals etc and hardly anyone would pay full price?

 

[The_Mike]

Normally I would just stay out of a discussion like that, but I couldn't resist since people are blaming Trump.

I couldn't be arsed to find all the dates myself, so I asked chatgpt about all the times Sony has increased the price on the PlayStation 5 since the release of the console, and I got this answer:
PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

1. 1. August 25, 2022 — Price hike in many regions (EU, UK, APAC, LATAM, Canada, Japan)

Sony raised the price of the PS5 across Europe, the UK, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Canada, effective immediately.
Japan followed on September 15, 2022.
The US was not affected at this time.

2. September 2, 2024 — Another hike in Japan due to component costs

Sony increased the Japanese price of the PS5:

• Standard model went from ~¥66,980 to ¥79,980 (≈ +20%).
• Digital Edition and accessories also went up.

3. April 14, 2025 — Digital Edition increase in Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand

Sony raised the PS5 Digital Edition price:

• Europe: €499.99 (≈ +€50)
• UK: £429.99 (≈ +£40)
  Similar increases happened in Australia and New Zealand.
  The standard model, PS5 Pro, and the US were not affected.

4. August 21, 2025 — $50 hike in the United States

For the first time, the US saw a price increase:

• Standard: $549.99
• Digital: $499.99
• Pro: $749.99
  Effective August 21, 2025.

So, outside of US, we have had three price increases, but now that Trump has become president, suddenly everything is his fault.
I am aware that Trump has made Tariffs and I do know that prices has increased in the US thanks to his tariffs, but it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world could pay for USA not increasing their prices.

Chatgpt also mentions that Microsoft and Nintendo has upped their prices for their hardware in 2025, which is the first major price increase, and does blame it partly on the tariffs, but looking at the bigger picture, everything is more expensive in general. EU countries are also suffering in general for common and well needed things to survive like food, and even if Trump haven't made these tariffs, the prices would still have gone up, it is just a lazy excuse to up their prices.

The respective price increases on standard, digital, and pro, is 10%, 11.1% and 7.1%, which if the 20 percent tariff is true, then Sony are eating the last 10 percent to make the hardware more affordable, which is hardly doubtful, if you also look at the recent psplus subscription price, which has had the following price increases recently:

Year	Plan(s) Available	Annual Price(s)	Notes / Changes
2020	PlayStation Plus (single tier)	$59.99	Standard annual plan before new tier system.
2021	PlayStation Plus	$59.99	Unchanged.
2022 (Jun)	New tiers introduced (Essential / Extra / Premium)	$59.99 / $99.99 / $119.99	Sony launched tiered system to merge PlayStation Plus and PS Now.
2023 (Sep)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	Global hike — first increase in over a decade for the base plan.
2024	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	No changes in U.S. or Europe.
2025 (Apr)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99 (U.S./Europe)	Regional hikes only (Canada, Latin America, SE Asia). U.S. unchanged.

Joe Biden became president in 2021, and under his presidency it got new tiers - lets be real, price increase since the standard tier got worse - and in 2023 it got a global price hike.

I remember when I first got accepted into this board in 2017, Gaf was VERY right leaning. We hated woke stuff, made fun of Era, etc. Good times.
But I guess it is easier to become left wing and blame the president for price increase rather than demanding Sony to hold some accountability.

 

[jm89]

These companies are literally sitting on their most profitable performance metrics ever and telling us times are hard.....

Times are hard for multi billion dollar businesses but its ok...us lowly individuals can find the money.

They are all as bad as each other.

I feel we are reaching the point that its time for us consumers to just say fuck it. And force them to be competitive again.

Hopefully that means you won't cry about someone subbing and refunding gamepass a service provided by a trillion dollar company.

 

[//DEVIL//]

GOT DA.......you right! Some people in this thread legit needs to come to grip with the new reality in video game hardware costs. Maybe the PS6 will be $699 at launch.

No. They are just using it as an excuse to increase their profit. Anyone who believe otherwise isn't smart.

 

[VGA-Games]

Says the nintendork.

Absolutely!

 

[ecosse_011172]

Normally I would just stay out of a discussion like that, but I couldn't resist since people are blaming Trump.

Defence force!

So, outside of US, we have had three price increases, but now that Trump has become president, suddenly everything is his fault.
I am aware that Trump has made Tariffs and I do know that prices has increased in the US thanks to his tariffs, but it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world could pay for USA not increasing their prices.

You seem to be contradicting yourself.

I remember when I first got accepted into this board in 2017, Gaf was VERY right leaning. We hated woke stuff, made fun of Era, etc. Good times.
But I guess it is easier to become left wing and blame the president for price increase rather than demanding Sony to hold some accountability.

The board is clearly still fairly right-wing leaning and you don't have to be left-wing to recognise the effect of tariffs.


It's possible for tariffs to be causing price increases and for Sony and co to be money grabbing cunts at the same time.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Hopefully that means you won't cry about someone subbing and refunding gamepass a service provided by a trillion dollar company.

Thats a much more complex situation than this. We literally have Sony posting record profits and still increasing prices while tanking investments in the worst gaming decisions ive ever seen. While you have others claiming MS makes no money and gamepass prices will increase, which is made even more possible by people gaming the system.

Two completely different kettles of fish, but I understand you felt the need to deflect and make this about me and Microsoft

 

[Deficit]

lol….come on man. How is that not an entirety made up statement?

[

 

[jm89]

Thats a much more complex situation than this. We literally have Sony posting record profits and still increasing prices while tanking investments in the worst gaming decisions ive ever seen. While you have others claiming MS makes no money and gamepass prices will increase, which is made even more possible by people gaming the system.

Two completely different kettles of fish, but I understand you felt the need to deflect and make this about me and Microsoft

Of course it's a complex situation cause it's your favourite brand. No ones claiming ms doesn't make money.

Just pointing out your usual hypocrisy

 

[PeteBull]

who is actually buying a new ps5, 5 years into its lifecycle? Whoever wanted one bought one, whoever needs a new/ second/ repalcement buys it cheap second hand etc. Yes, there are still the uninformed parents/ grandparents who are buying these for occasions, but there are so few that it doesn't really matter in the overall picture does it? Unless i got it completely wrong? I get the ps5 is currently at what, 80+ mil sold? When sony releases the next number in 2-3 years and its at 100mil, 20 mil bought it at full price as sony only counts new sales, but surely people will wait for deals etc and hardly anyone would pay full price?

Normally casual/budget concious customers were buying consoles 4-5years into its lifecycle, ofc at visibly lower price, now? Imho sales will be reduced, especially with no gta6 till may(or even further down the line if delayed again) 2026.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Of course it's a complex situation cause it's your favourite brand. No ones claiming ms doesn't make money.

Just pointing out your usual hypocrisy

Literally every Sony fan on this site and many others claim that MS and Gamepass doesn't make any money. I didn't even bring any of this stuff up. Why just not bother posting?

 

[Ashamam]

Literally every Sony fan on this site and many others claim that MS and Gamepass doesn't make any money. I didn't even bring any of this stuff up. Why just not bother posting?

I'm curious about your avatar comment. Are you actually ever moderated? Or is it just a nod to intent to troll?

 

[asdasdasdbb]

So, outside of US, we have had three price increases, but now that Trump has become president, suddenly everything is his fault.

This specific hike is because of the tariffs.

 

[DenchDeckard]

I'm curious about your avatar comment. Are you actually ever moderated? Or is it just a nod to intent to troll?

Im moderated Wildly like it says

TBH, ive not had any moderation for a long time. so I just enjoy the tag.

 

[Topher]

Yeah, but's just one idiot my man. Folks who don't like paying more usually don't like paying more no matter what it is

 

[SScorpio]

Normally I would just stay out of a discussion like that, but I couldn't resist since people are blaming Trump.

I couldn't be arsed to find all the dates myself, so I asked chatgpt about all the times Sony has increased the price on the PlayStation 5 since the release of the console, and I got this answer:
PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

1. 1. August 25, 2022 — Price hike in many regions (EU, UK, APAC, LATAM, Canada, Japan)

Sony raised the price of the PS5 across Europe, the UK, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Canada, effective immediately.
Japan followed on September 15, 2022.
The US was not affected at this time.

2. September 2, 2024 — Another hike in Japan due to component costs

Sony increased the Japanese price of the PS5:

• Standard model went from ~¥66,980 to ¥79,980 (≈ +20%).
• Digital Edition and accessories also went up.

3. April 14, 2025 — Digital Edition increase in Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand

Sony raised the PS5 Digital Edition price:

• Europe: €499.99 (≈ +€50)
• UK: £429.99 (≈ +£40)
  Similar increases happened in Australia and New Zealand.
  The standard model, PS5 Pro, and the US were not affected.

4. August 21, 2025 — $50 hike in the United States

For the first time, the US saw a price increase:

• Standard: $549.99
• Digital: $499.99
• Pro: $749.99
  Effective August 21, 2025.

So, outside of US, we have had three price increases, but now that Trump has become president, suddenly everything is his fault.
I am aware that Trump has made Tariffs and I do know that prices has increased in the US thanks to his tariffs, but it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world could pay for USA not increasing their prices.

Chatgpt also mentions that Microsoft and Nintendo has upped their prices for their hardware in 2025, which is the first major price increase, and does blame it partly on the tariffs, but looking at the bigger picture, everything is more expensive in general. EU countries are also suffering in general for common and well needed things to survive like food, and even if Trump haven't made these tariffs, the prices would still have gone up, it is just a lazy excuse to up their prices.

The respective price increases on standard, digital, and pro, is 10%, 11.1% and 7.1%, which if the 20 percent tariff is true, then Sony are eating the last 10 percent to make the hardware more affordable, which is hardly doubtful, if you also look at the recent psplus subscription price, which has had the following price increases recently:

Year	Plan(s) Available	Annual Price(s)	Notes / Changes
2020	PlayStation Plus (single tier)	$59.99	Standard annual plan before new tier system.
2021	PlayStation Plus	$59.99	Unchanged.
2022 (Jun)	New tiers introduced (Essential / Extra / Premium)	$59.99 / $99.99 / $119.99	Sony launched tiered system to merge PlayStation Plus and PS Now.
2023 (Sep)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	Global hike — first increase in over a decade for the base plan.
2024	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	No changes in U.S. or Europe.
2025 (Apr)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99 (U.S./Europe)	Regional hikes only (Canada, Latin America, SE Asia). U.S. unchanged.

Joe Biden became president in 2021, and under his presidency it got new tiers - lets be real, price increase since the standard tier got worse - and in 2023 it got a global price hike.

I remember when I first got accepted into this board in 2017, Gaf was VERY right leaning. We hated woke stuff, made fun of Era, etc. Good times.
But I guess it is easier to become left wing and blame the president for price increase rather than demanding Sony to hold some accountability.

One big thing this is missing is the removal of PS+ cards from stores which prevents it from getting discounts. I used to always get a year or two during the holiday sales and routinely paid $30-35 versus the MSRP $60. Now it's $80 and I'm unsubscribed after the time I had banked up expired for the first time since it launched on the PS3.

 

[thismeinteil]

Normally I would just stay out of a discussion like that, but I couldn't resist since people are blaming Trump.

I couldn't be arsed to find all the dates myself, so I asked chatgpt about all the times Sony has increased the price on the PlayStation 5 since the release of the console, and I got this answer:
PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

1. 1. August 25, 2022 — Price hike in many regions (EU, UK, APAC, LATAM, Canada, Japan)

Sony raised the price of the PS5 across Europe, the UK, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Canada, effective immediately.
Japan followed on September 15, 2022.
The US was not affected at this time.

2. September 2, 2024 — Another hike in Japan due to component costs

Sony increased the Japanese price of the PS5:

• Standard model went from ~¥66,980 to ¥79,980 (≈ +20%).
• Digital Edition and accessories also went up.

3. April 14, 2025 — Digital Edition increase in Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand

Sony raised the PS5 Digital Edition price:

• Europe: €499.99 (≈ +€50)
• UK: £429.99 (≈ +£40)
  Similar increases happened in Australia and New Zealand.
  The standard model, PS5 Pro, and the US were not affected.

4. August 21, 2025 — $50 hike in the United States

For the first time, the US saw a price increase:

• Standard: $549.99
• Digital: $499.99
• Pro: $749.99
  Effective August 21, 2025.

So, outside of US, we have had three price increases, but now that Trump has become president, suddenly everything is his fault.
I am aware that Trump has made Tariffs and I do know that prices has increased in the US thanks to his tariffs, but it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world could pay for USA not increasing their prices.

Chatgpt also mentions that Microsoft and Nintendo has upped their prices for their hardware in 2025, which is the first major price increase, and does blame it partly on the tariffs, but looking at the bigger picture, everything is more expensive in general. EU countries are also suffering in general for common and well needed things to survive like food, and even if Trump haven't made these tariffs, the prices would still have gone up, it is just a lazy excuse to up their prices.

The respective price increases on standard, digital, and pro, is 10%, 11.1% and 7.1%, which if the 20 percent tariff is true, then Sony are eating the last 10 percent to make the hardware more affordable, which is hardly doubtful, if you also look at the recent psplus subscription price, which has had the following price increases recently:

Year	Plan(s) Available	Annual Price(s)	Notes / Changes
2020	PlayStation Plus (single tier)	$59.99	Standard annual plan before new tier system.
2021	PlayStation Plus	$59.99	Unchanged.
2022 (Jun)	New tiers introduced (Essential / Extra / Premium)	$59.99 / $99.99 / $119.99	Sony launched tiered system to merge PlayStation Plus and PS Now.
2023 (Sep)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	Global hike — first increase in over a decade for the base plan.
2024	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	No changes in U.S. or Europe.
2025 (Apr)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99 (U.S./Europe)	Regional hikes only (Canada, Latin America, SE Asia). U.S. unchanged.

Joe Biden became president in 2021, and under his presidency it got new tiers - lets be real, price increase since the standard tier got worse - and in 2023 it got a global price hike.

I remember when I first got accepted into this board in 2017, Gaf was VERY right leaning. We hated woke stuff, made fun of Era, etc. Good times.
But I guess it is easier to become left wing and blame the president for price increase rather than demanding Sony to hold some accountability.

The truth is Trump lives rent free in these people's minds. They'll blame anything and everything on him. Skyrocketing inflation and a less safe country because of open borders and unpunished criminals? Who cares, at least the Orange man isn't in control.

Notice how no one talks about eggs and gas anymore. Before everyone was talking about them, even Dems after Trump won. "Oh, I thought he was going to decrease the price of eggs and gas." He did and they just shut up about it. Typical strategy. Whine, then shut up when its fixed and whine about something else to say he's the worst.

 

[asdasdasdbb]

Inflation is why there haven't been any price cuts. This specific price hike is because of the tariffs.

 

[adamsapple]

AFAIK, vidya prices aren't being increased because of supply issues from Russia.

I don't think this is a viable comparison at all.

 

[Blood Borne]

perhaps it's already been explained in this thread and I missed it, but for people saying it's the tariffs, how come Sony increased the price of the PS5 in Europe, UK and Japan in 2022?
More so, the 2022 price increase was announced in August 25, 2022. Same time they've announced this price increase.

Thus this highly indicates it is not a tariff issue but a supply chain/administration issue

 

[asdasdasdbb]

perhaps it's been already and explained in this thread and I missed it, but for people saying it's the tariffs, how come Sony increased the price of the PS5 in Europe, UK and Japan in 2022?

Dollar rally because the Fed rate hikes

 

[ReBurn]

I don't think you have to be a company's buddy to understand that they aren't going to eat tariffs. We can be emotionally neutral and come to that conclusion. I wouldn't expect Sony to do anything differently than what Walmart, NIKE, Home Depot, etc are doing at the same time.

Just because it's a video game console in a hobby I love, doesn't make it any less a business.

I guess that's the thing. Gaming is a hobby that I love, too. But that doesn't mean that I have to take an "it's just business" position when a company raises prices after recently stating that the business is posting record profit. I couldn't care less what the reason is for increasing prices because the reason isn't my problem.

I would argue that it takes a strong emotional connection to a company to be resigned to just sheepishly agreeing to pay more when the empirical evidence the company has provided shows that they have room to increase efficiency, absorb cost, and not pass it on in the form of higher prices.

I'll start to bend when their margins decrease and they have made efforts to streamline their operations instead of burning billions on projects that don't seem to be coming to fruition. Maybe if they didn't spend recklessly on gaas they wouldn't be raising prices, but here people are just kowtowing to the "it's tariffs" excuse.

 

[ecosse_011172]

[

So Stephen Colbert said that he's happy to pay more for petrol if it means not supporting a genocidal dictator but he is now complaining that his console will cost more because of tariffs?

Do you ever read what you type before clicking "post reply"?

 

[Dural]

Buy second hand consoles and PC tech pre owned. Plenty of great deals out there. Stop giving the companies money directly and look at alternatives.

Plenty of pre owned consoles from this gen out there now and PC tech that is a year old or more is still perfectly viable. I know this wont work for everyone but if enough people did it, it would send a message.

Buy pre owned games on disk if you have a drive.

Honestly, people have enjoyed pointing the finger at gamepass but the entire industry is unsustainable. Games with budgets we have seen are not sustainable, easily as badly as a sub service. These execs keep making bone idled decisions and its left to us to pick up the slack.

If fairgames or Marathon gets cancelled this is undoubtedly the worst managed playstation and xbox generation in history. Theres less games, and those that come out are often broken at launch and are quite frankly average to good at best. This is not exclusive to MS its every first party pub outside of Nintendo.

Fuck em until they give us what we want / deserve for years of support of our hobbie.

My opinion of course.

Yep. Recently bought an Odin 2 Portal, that will be what I mainly use for gaming (mostly retro gaming) and a PC. Haven't used a console in quite a while.

AFAIK, vidya prices aren't being increased because of supply issues from Russia.

I don't think this is a viable comparison at all.

So Stephen Colbert said that he's happy to pay more for petrol if it means not supporting a genocidal dictator but he is now complaining that his console will cost more because of tariffs?

Do you ever read what you type before clicking "post reply"?

Russian oil doesn't affect US gas prices, the policies put in place by the administration does. The last administration had policies from the first day in office that affected the price of oil in the US.


The amount of politics in this thread is insane, politics was supposed to be banned from this place.

 

[ecosse_011172]

The truth is Trump lives rent free in these people's minds. They'll blame anything and everything on him. Skyrocketing inflation and a less safe country because of open borders and unpunished criminals? Who cares, at least the Orange man isn't in control.

Notice how no one talks about eggs and gas anymore. Before everyone was talking about them, even Dems after Trump won. "Oh, I thought he was going to decrease the price of eggs and gas." He did and they just shut up about it. Typical strategy. Whine, then shut up when its fixed and whine about something else to say he's the worst.

Americans should really read some political coverage from abroad, any democratic country and see what is said.
Just like with Brexit, a lot of the most sensible and accurate analysis came from the US, you'll see decent reporting and plenty of fact-checking abroad.

 

[ecosse_011172]

Yep. Recently bought an Odin 2 Portal, that will be what I mainly use for gaming (mostly retro gaming) and a PC. Haven't used a console in quite a while.







Russian oil doesn't affect US gas prices, the policies put in place by the administration does. The last administration had policies from the first day in office that affected the price of oil in the US.


The amount of politics in this thread is insane, politics was supposed to be banned from this place.

There isn't much political talk here tbh and in this case it's directly affecting gaming.
And you are parroting rubbish, the biggest effect on US gas prices is the worldwide crude oil price along with other factors.

Are Gas Prices Falling Because U.S. Oil Production Is Surging?

Gas prices are falling in 2025, but is surging U.S. oil production under Trump the reason? A closer look at supply, demand, and global forces tells a different story.

www.forbes.com

Conclusion

It's tempting to give too much credit or blame to a president for what's happening at the pump. But the reality is that gasoline prices are dictated by forces much bigger than any one administration. Technological shifts like fracking, geopolitical decisions by OPEC+, weather disruptions, and global demand trends shape oil markets far more decisively than executive orders or campaign slogans.

That doesn't mean policy is irrelevant—it can tilt the playing field at the margins. But the recent slide in prices is a reminder that energy is a global business, and the U.S. is both a beneficiary and a casualty of its volatility. Consumers welcome relief at the gas station, yet as an energy-exporting nation, we also absorb the downside of weaker prices.

The bottom line: partisans may spin the price of gasoline, but the true story lies in the global interplay of supply, demand, and investment. And that story is always bigger—and more complicated—than Washington.

 

[dragonyeuw]

who is actually buying a new ps5, 5 years into its lifecycle? Whoever wanted one bought one, whoever needs a new/ second/ repalcement buys it cheap second hand etc.

A lot of people bought the PS2 in 2009 when the price was dropped to $99. There are millions of people who don't care for being on the bleeding edge of tech and will wait till the console is dirt cheap. I reckon in past generations, many systems going down to $200 or less 5 years into the gen is what pushed the unit sales firmly over the 100m line. Based on what I could find, by the end of 2018 the PS4 had sold 91m units, and another 15 between then and when the PS5 launched. At that point, Sony was doing $199 holiday bundled packed with Spider-man. I'll be real interested to see where we are in 2027 with the back-end of this generation doing the opposite of prior ones when it comes to system pricing. The issue with buying 2nd hand now is that the systems going up in prices also inflates the used market.

 

[ecosse_011172]

A lot of people bought the PS2 in 2009 when the price was dropped to $99. There are millions of people who don't care for being on the bleeding edge of tech and will wait till the console is dirt cheap. I reckon in past generations, many systems going down to $200 or less 5 years into the gen is what pushed the unit sales firmly over the 100m line. Based on what I could find, by the end of 2018 the PS4 had sold 91m units, and another 15 between then and when the PS5 launched. At that point, Sony was doing $199 holiday bundled packed with Spider-man. I'll be real interested to see where we are in 2027 with the back-end of this generation doing the opposite of prior ones when it comes to system pricing. The issue with buying 2nd hand now is that the systems going up in prices also inflates the used market.

Will be interesting, hopefully the world will become less mental and more like before ( unlikely)

 

[asdasdasdbb]

FWIW the price hikes have taken effect at Sony Direct but not at the other retailers I checked.

A lot of people bought the PS2 in 2009 when the price was dropped to $99. There are millions of people who don't care for being on the bleeding edge of tech and will wait till the console is dirt cheap. I reckon in past generations, many systems going down to $200 or less 5 years into the gen is what pushed the unit sales firmly over the 100m line. Based on what I could find, by the end of 2018 the PS4 had sold 91m units, and another 15 between then and when the PS5 launched. At that point, Sony was doing $199 holiday bundled packed with Spider-man. I'll be real interested to see where we are in 2027 with the back-end of this generation doing the opposite of prior ones when it comes to system pricing.

If the tariffs get removed, perhaps this price hike will get rolled back. But I don't see perm price cuts happening.

I don't see any BF deal this year either. Maybe they will throw in a digital game.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Will be interesting, hopefully the world will become less mental and more like before ( unlikely)

That would be nice but I wouldn't count on it. I feel like something broke in society after 2020. I don't know if that ever comes back. I know for myself, my own behavior has changed. I'm just way more insular and less interested in being around people than I used to be( I was never extroverted, but I've become a full on introvert. I just can't be bothered anymore...)

If the tariffs get removed, perhaps this price hike will get rolled back. But I don't see perm price cuts happening.

I don't see any BF deal this year either. Maybe they will throw in a digital game.

It seems like the strategy now is doing periodic slashes instead of outright dropping MSRP. PS5 got $50 dropped off each model a month or two ago for a few weeks. So now when they 'roll back' the price, it will be to what it was before($449/499/649). The consumer isn't going to come out ahead in any of this. I also wonder if the retailers will do what they did with the Switch where they keep the price as is for the time being, because they're sitting on existing stock in their warehouse. Case in point, on Amazon the slim is still $450 and the pro $699 as of now. The rub is, Sony is increasing the price when alot of retailers are sitting on inventory that preceded the tariffs and thus shouldn't get a $50 hike. That inventory is just now $50 more cause reasons, but the retailers seem like they are making their own judgements on that. Also just looking at Target, they haven't raised prices either. I imagine it's the same for Walmart....

 

[ecosse_011172]

That would be nice but I wouldn't count on it. I feel like something broke in society after 2020. I don't know if that ever comes back. I know for myself, my own behavior has changed. I'm just way more insular and less interested in being around people than I used to be( I was never extroverted, but I've become a full on introvert. I just can't be bothered anymore...)

Yes, I have no idea why the pandemic has caused so much change but it seems profound, I keep reading about the increase in selfish and/or anti-social behaviour but not exactly why.

 

[splattered]

I dunno i might sell my ps5 and psvr2 and buy one of the Rog Ally X portables. We'll be able to play majority of good Playstation games on PC and Xbox within next couple years anyway and I never really got that into VR.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Yes, I have no idea why the pandemic has caused so much change but it seems profound, I keep reading about the increase in selfish and/or anti-social behaviour but not exactly why.

I don't think society actually really recovered from it. We just got to a point where it was no longer possible to keep everything closed down and people locked indoors, so the world just collectively moved on. But there are millions of people who lost loved ones, homes, jobs, etc. I suspect many of us are suffering from some form of PTSD. I have days now, most days, where I feel like someone burnt the edges of my nerves off, I feel totally numb. I think I've just normalized so much bullshit going on that nothing phases me anymore. And to be clear, I honestly hate the feeling.

 

[Majima Everywhere System]

The price goes up and resolution goes down

 

[ecosse_011172]

I don't think society actually really recovered from it. We just got to a point where it was no longer possible to keep everything closed down and people locked indoors, so the world just collectively moved on. But there are millions of people who lost loved ones, homes, jobs, etc. I suspect many of us are suffering from some form of PTSD. I have days now, most days, where I feel like someone burnt the edges of my nerves off, I feel totally numb. I think I've just normalized so much bullshit going on that nothing phases me anymore. And to be clear, I honestly hate the feeling.

Yes, well put.

 

[ecosse_011172]

The price goes up and resolution goes down

 

[PeteBull]

The price goes up and resolution goes down

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Normally I would just stay out of a discussion like that, but I couldn't resist since people are blaming Trump.

I couldn't be arsed to find all the dates myself, so I asked chatgpt about all the times Sony has increased the price on the PlayStation 5 since the release of the console, and I got this answer:
PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

1. 1. August 25, 2022 — Price hike in many regions (EU, UK, APAC, LATAM, Canada, Japan)

Sony raised the price of the PS5 across Europe, the UK, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Canada, effective immediately.
Japan followed on September 15, 2022.
The US was not affected at this time.

2. September 2, 2024 — Another hike in Japan due to component costs

Sony increased the Japanese price of the PS5:

• Standard model went from ~¥66,980 to ¥79,980 (≈ +20%).
• Digital Edition and accessories also went up.

3. April 14, 2025 — Digital Edition increase in Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand

Sony raised the PS5 Digital Edition price:

• Europe: €499.99 (≈ +€50)
• UK: £429.99 (≈ +£40)
  Similar increases happened in Australia and New Zealand.
  The standard model, PS5 Pro, and the US were not affected.

4. August 21, 2025 — $50 hike in the United States

For the first time, the US saw a price increase:

• Standard: $549.99
• Digital: $499.99
• Pro: $749.99
  Effective August 21, 2025.

So, outside of US, we have had three price increases, but now that Trump has become president, suddenly everything is his fault.
I am aware that Trump has made Tariffs and I do know that prices has increased in the US thanks to his tariffs, but it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world could pay for USA not increasing their prices.

Chatgpt also mentions that Microsoft and Nintendo has upped their prices for their hardware in 2025, which is the first major price increase, and does blame it partly on the tariffs, but looking at the bigger picture, everything is more expensive in general. EU countries are also suffering in general for common and well needed things to survive like food, and even if Trump haven't made these tariffs, the prices would still have gone up, it is just a lazy excuse to up their prices.

The respective price increases on standard, digital, and pro, is 10%, 11.1% and 7.1%, which if the 20 percent tariff is true, then Sony are eating the last 10 percent to make the hardware more affordable, which is hardly doubtful, if you also look at the recent psplus subscription price, which has had the following price increases recently:

Year	Plan(s) Available	Annual Price(s)	Notes / Changes
2020	PlayStation Plus (single tier)	$59.99	Standard annual plan before new tier system.
2021	PlayStation Plus	$59.99	Unchanged.
2022 (Jun)	New tiers introduced (Essential / Extra / Premium)	$59.99 / $99.99 / $119.99	Sony launched tiered system to merge PlayStation Plus and PS Now.
2023 (Sep)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	Global hike — first increase in over a decade for the base plan.
2024	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	No changes in U.S. or Europe.
2025 (Apr)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99 (U.S./Europe)	Regional hikes only (Canada, Latin America, SE Asia). U.S. unchanged.

Joe Biden became president in 2021, and under his presidency it got new tiers - lets be real, price increase since the standard tier got worse - and in 2023 it got a global price hike.

I remember when I first got accepted into this board in 2017, Gaf was VERY right leaning. We hated woke stuff, made fun of Era, etc. Good times.
But I guess it is easier to become left wing and blame the president for price increase rather than demanding Sony to hold some accountability.

All the while making record profits

Those pesky tariffs

 

[adamsapple]

All the while making record profits

Those pesky tariffs

Yep, the fact that just this very fuckin' month they had an earnings report touting records, which were echoed and celebrated by some users in this thread, makes it harder to digest that poor Sony just had to increase the price.

 

[ecosse_011172]

All the while making record profits

Those pesky tariffs

It's been pointed out many times in the thread what the issues at play are, why so simplistic/disingenious?
I'll repeat
Tariffs - bad, partly responsible.
Sony - Greedy cunts, partly responsible.

Not everything is a zero-sum game.

 

[CrimsonTide]

Normally I would just stay out of a discussion like that, but I couldn't resist since people are blaming Trump.

I couldn't be arsed to find all the dates myself, so I asked chatgpt about all the times Sony has increased the price on the PlayStation 5 since the release of the console, and I got this answer:
PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

PlayStation 5 Price Increases Since Launch

1. 1. August 25, 2022 — Price hike in many regions (EU, UK, APAC, LATAM, Canada, Japan)

Sony raised the price of the PS5 across Europe, the UK, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Canada, effective immediately.
Japan followed on September 15, 2022.
The US was not affected at this time.

2. September 2, 2024 — Another hike in Japan due to component costs

Sony increased the Japanese price of the PS5:

• Standard model went from ~¥66,980 to ¥79,980 (≈ +20%).
• Digital Edition and accessories also went up.

3. April 14, 2025 — Digital Edition increase in Europe, UK, Australia, New Zealand

Sony raised the PS5 Digital Edition price:

• Europe: €499.99 (≈ +€50)
• UK: £429.99 (≈ +£40)
  Similar increases happened in Australia and New Zealand.
  The standard model, PS5 Pro, and the US were not affected.

4. August 21, 2025 — $50 hike in the United States

For the first time, the US saw a price increase:

• Standard: $549.99
• Digital: $499.99
• Pro: $749.99
  Effective August 21, 2025.

So, outside of US, we have had three price increases, but now that Trump has become president, suddenly everything is his fault.
I am aware that Trump has made Tariffs and I do know that prices has increased in the US thanks to his tariffs, but it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world could pay for USA not increasing their prices.

Chatgpt also mentions that Microsoft and Nintendo has upped their prices for their hardware in 2025, which is the first major price increase, and does blame it partly on the tariffs, but looking at the bigger picture, everything is more expensive in general. EU countries are also suffering in general for common and well needed things to survive like food, and even if Trump haven't made these tariffs, the prices would still have gone up, it is just a lazy excuse to up their prices.

The respective price increases on standard, digital, and pro, is 10%, 11.1% and 7.1%, which if the 20 percent tariff is true, then Sony are eating the last 10 percent to make the hardware more affordable, which is hardly doubtful, if you also look at the recent psplus subscription price, which has had the following price increases recently:

Year	Plan(s) Available	Annual Price(s)	Notes / Changes
2020	PlayStation Plus (single tier)	$59.99	Standard annual plan before new tier system.
2021	PlayStation Plus	$59.99	Unchanged.
2022 (Jun)	New tiers introduced (Essential / Extra / Premium)	$59.99 / $99.99 / $119.99	Sony launched tiered system to merge PlayStation Plus and PS Now.
2023 (Sep)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	Global hike — first increase in over a decade for the base plan.
2024	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99	No changes in U.S. or Europe.
2025 (Apr)	Essential / Extra / Premium	$79.99 / $134.99 / $159.99 (U.S./Europe)	Regional hikes only (Canada, Latin America, SE Asia). U.S. unchanged.

Joe Biden became president in 2021, and under his presidency it got new tiers - lets be real, price increase since the standard tier got worse - and in 2023 it got a global price hike.

I remember when I first got accepted into this board in 2017, Gaf was VERY right leaning. We hated woke stuff, made fun of Era, etc. Good times.
But I guess it is easier to become left wing and blame the president for price increase rather than demanding Sony to hold some accountability.

Correct

People will shill for mega billion dollar corpos if it suits them

Tech has only went UP since 2020 and guess what?

Yet what has also went up? Oh yeah RECORD PROFITS by likes of Sony, MS, Nintendo, Apple, Nvidia ALL OF THEM ARE BREAKING RECORDS

But "orange man bad" miss me with that fucking nonsense

Sony has NEVER EVER made more money than they are making NOW