The last PlayStation first-party game I bought at launch cost $124.95 AUD. That’s for a standard edition, digital, no extra content. Just the game. At that price, it had better be life-changing. It was pretty good.

Sony’s pricing strategy in Australia has become genuinely hard to defend. While the global conversation about $70 USD games has mostly settled into grudging acceptance, the Australian reality is significantly worse. And it’s starting to show in how people here buy and play games.

The numbers

A first-party PlayStation game in Australia now costs $109.95 to $124.95 AUD at the PlayStation Store. Physical copies at EB Games are slightly cheaper — usually $99 to $109. Deluxe editions push past $140.

For context, the median weekly earnings in Australia for a full-time worker are around $1,300 before tax. A $125 game represents a meaningful percentage of disposable income for most people.

Compare this to Game Pass, where the equivalent games are available on day one for a $23/month subscription. Or to PC, where Steam sales and key sites regularly offer major titles at 30 to 50 percent off within months of release.

How Australians are responding

Anecdotally and from the data I’ve seen, Australian PlayStation owners have changed their buying behaviour.

Waiting for sales. PlayStation Store sales are more aggressive than they used to be, with first-party titles dropping to $50-60 within six to nine months. More Australians are simply waiting. Patient gaming has always been a thing, but high prices accelerate the trend.

Buying fewer games. Instead of buying four or five games a year, people are buying two or three and spending more time with each one. This sounds fine until you realise it means fewer Australians are experiencing the breadth of PlayStation’s library.

PS Plus as a substitute. The mid-tier PS Plus offering gives access to a rotating catalogue of games. For Australians who can’t stomach $125 per game, the subscription is increasingly the primary way they engage with the platform.

Switching to PC. This is harder to quantify, but I hear it constantly. Gamers who grew up on PlayStation are building PCs because the long-term cost of gaming is lower. Steam’s pricing, regular sales, and free online play make the total cost of ownership more attractive despite the higher upfront hardware investment.

Sony’s justification

Sony has argued that increased development costs justify higher game prices. There’s truth to this — AAA game development is more expensive than ever. But the argument has limits.

First, development costs are a global factor. They don’t explain why Australian prices are disproportionately higher than US prices even accounting for currency exchange. The AUD has hovered around 0.65 USD for years, which would put a $70 USD game at roughly $108 AUD. Sony charges more than that.

Second, other publishers manage to price competitively in Australia. Nintendo first-party games are typically $79.95 AUD. Xbox first-party games are on Game Pass. Third-party publishers usually price at $89.95 to $99.95 for new releases. Sony is consistently at the top of the range.

Third, digital distribution has eliminated physical manufacturing, shipping, and retail margin costs. Those savings aren’t being passed on to consumers. Digital games in Australia cost the same or more than physical copies, which makes no economic sense from the consumer’s perspective.

What it means for the market

Sony has the best exclusive library in gaming. The PlayStation 5 is an excellent console. But in Australia, the value proposition is being eroded by pricing that feels disconnected from the local market reality.

The risk for Sony is that a generation of Australian gamers grows up associating PlayStation with “too expensive.” Brand loyalty is powerful, but it has limits. When a 20-year-old Australian looks at $125 for one game versus $23/month for hundreds on Game Pass, the maths push them in one direction.

I’m not suggesting Sony should sell games at a loss. I am suggesting that regional pricing should reflect regional economic realities. A $10 AUD reduction on launch titles would still be profitable and would send a signal that Sony actually cares about its Australian customer base.

Until then, my advice to Australian PlayStation owners is the same as it’s been for years: don’t buy at launch unless you absolutely can’t wait. The sale price will come, and your wallet will thank you.