Sony to hike PS5 prices by $100 as AI and Iran war push up memory chip costs

Group 1 - Sony is increasing global prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles, with a $100 rise in the US, marking the second price hike in less than a year due to rising costs of key components like memory chips [1][2] - The updated US prices effective April 2 will set the standard PS5 at $649.99, the digital edition at $599.99, and the high-end PS5 Pro at $899.99, with similar increases in Europe and Japan [2] - The price hikes are expected to dampen growth in the video game market, as evidenced by a 16% decline in PS5 sales during the October-December holiday quarter, totaling 8 million units [4][5] Group 2 - Iran's recent attack on Qatar's natural gas export facility has led to a shutdown, threatening helium supplies, which are crucial for semiconductor manufacturing [3] - Qatar supplies one-third of the world's helium, and the shutdown is projected to reduce helium exports by 14%, potentially leading to higher prices if the conflict continues [3]