Sony's recent PS5 console price drop was welcomed worldwide, but according to the manufacturer, UK buyers weren't budging. However, official sales data from market research company GfK says otherwise.
The PS5's most significant price drop to date, which slashed its price to just £399 in the UK at numerous retailers, didn't seem to have the traction Sony expected in the region.
"By regions, currently in Japan, the sales are strong, and the same holds true for Asia," Sony COO Hiroki Totoki reported during a recent earnings call. "In North America, the response to the promotion has been quite favorable. In United Kingdom, it’s a bit weak, but Europe as a whole has been performing quite well."
"PS5 hardware sales were 3.3 million units [for the first quarter], a significant increase of 38% year-on-year," Totoki says. "This amount is somewhat less than the expected progress toward our fiscal year sales target of 25 million units. But due to the promotion which began in July, we are seeing an improvement in the momentum of sales." (thanks, VGC)
Also during the call, Totoki points to PS5 software launching toward the end of 2023 that could potentially bolster console sales. He specifically mentions "Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and major third-party titles," which would include the likes of Assassin's Creed Mirage, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon and Mortal Kombat 1.
Response to the PS5 price drop may have been stronger in the UK that Sony lets on, though, with GfK data (reported on by GamesIndustry) from this week showing that the last couple of weeks have been the strongest performing in the UK in terms of PS5 hardware sales. The first week saw a rise of 71% thanks to the ongoing deal, with a further 59% boost happening over week two.
In other console discount news, Valve is selling refurbished Steam Decks and they're 25% cheaper than retail price. If you're not fussed about refurbished quality, now might be the best time for you to get the Steam Deck for less.
