Price tracking website PS Prices discovered that Sony seems to be quietly testing a new "dynamic pricing" model in the PS Mall: the same game may display different prices for different players. Sony seems to have been experimenting with dynamic pricing on the PlayStation Store since November last year, offering discounts for specific player regions. The number of games using dynamic pricing has increased, and currently more than 150 PS5 games have implemented dynamic pricing.
PS Prices writes: "Sony has been conducting price A/B testing in the PlayStation Store since November 2025. In three months, the experiment has expanded from 50 games in 30 regions to more than 150 games in 68 regions - and now also includes Sony's own AAA games."
The so-called "dynamic pricing" simply means adjusting product prices according to user conditions. The platform may refer to the user's purchase history, location, demand and other factors to allow different people to see different prices. This model has become more and more common in supermarkets, air tickets, hotels and other industries, but it is still quite controversial in the gaming field.
One of the most important findings from the study is that Sony is currently testing discount pricing strategies using its own first-party games. Some of these games are blockbusters, such as God of War and Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Currently, the United States and Japan are excluded from the experiment, possibly due to tighter market regulations in both countries, but it still means millions of consumers in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa will be affected.
Here is the complete list of major games affected by the PS5 dynamic pricing test (data from PS Prices):
It's certainly annoying that you're paying $70 for a game that other users in the same region can buy for just $60. But it needs to be clarified that this is not Sony raising the price of games. To be more precise, they launch a series of discounts based on player demand and other factors. PS Prices also made it clear that this appears to be an A/B testing program.
"Some PlayStation Store users will see experimental prices that are well below standard retail prices. This is a controlled A/B test conducted by Sony to study the price elasticity of demand. Users will be randomly assigned to a control or test group and see different prices for the same game."
Players react strongly to PS5 dynamic pricing
If players find that in the same game lobby, one player is paying full price, while another player from another country is enjoying a 50% discount, this may make some players unhappy, and if the dynamic pricing policy eventually becomes a store-wide standard, it is likely to trigger a backlash from some players.
"Assassin's Creed: Unity" is priced at £3.74 before logging in to the PS store, and £9.99 after logging in.
"This is completely anti-consumer," one Reddit user wrote. "There is no supply shortage. They can release downloads as they please. It's pure profiteering, simple as that."
Another commenter agreed, writing: "This is a disturbing trend and I hope it goes away soon."
If Sony implements dynamic pricing across the board, it could also selectively raise prices on the most popular or most in-demand games.
From a business perspective, this testing is not unexpected. Sony has previously told investors that as PS5 hardware sales growth slows, the company needs to find ways to generate more revenue from its existing player base.
The digital version of the game itself is more profitable than the physical version. If personalized discounts are used to attract players who would not otherwise spend to place orders, the overall revenue may be increased without a comprehensive price increase.
