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PlayStation / Sony / PS5 Pro
While the stench of price hikes still lingers thanks to Donald Trump’s rampant abuse of tariffs, Sony felt it was only right to bless gamers with some much-needed discounts on its PS5 consoles, and yes, the PS5 Pro is included.
Word on the video game streets is that the PS5 will eventually get a price hike, but as of now, it’s getting a price cut.
Yup, you read that right.
Right now and through June 11, if you have been on the fence regarding copping a PS5 console, now is a better time than ever to make that purchase.
Select PS5 bundles, including the PS5 Pro, PlayStation VR 2 headset, and other hardware, are on sale as part of PlayStation’s Days of Play sale event.
With the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, coming in at $449.99, you can cop a Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 PS5 Bundle for $50 less at $399.99 from Sony or Walmart.
The PS5 Pro Gets A Surprise Price Cut
What about if you were one of those gamers reluctant to buy the PS5 Pro because of the price? You can now purchase one of the most powerful video game consoles on the market for $649.99, which is $50 less than its original asking price, offering a great opportunity to snag the console.
The PS5 Pro is currently the more powerful option than the current PS5 model, boasting a larger GPU, more storage, and the ability to utilize Sony’s own PSSR AI upscaling technology.
But don’t get it twisted, the base PS5 model is no slouch, we all saw that latest Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer that made sure to let us know that all footage from the game shown was it running on a PS5 console, confirming even without the Pro designation it can still handle what will easily be one of the most graphically demanding titles of this console generation.
Those aren’t the only deals, you can head here to scoop up a PlayStation VR 2 headset or bundle, PS5 DualSense Edge controller, standard DualSense Edge, PlayStation Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, plus tons of games at a discounted price as well.
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Source: RICHARD A. BROOKS / Getty / PlayStation 5
Sony announced its financial forecast for the next year, and the company expects Donald Trump’s tariffs to impact its bottom line greatly.
Spotted on The Verge, Sony expects Trump’s stupid tariffs to impact its financial forecast by 100 billion yen (about $680 million). Sony is weighing different options to counter the tariffs, including moving manufacturing to the United States, which could raise the price of PS5 consoles.
Sony CFO Lin Tao confirmed during a company earnings call that the company is considering “passing on” the price of tariffs to counteract the tariffs. Tao did not mention the PlayStation 5 by name during the call, signaling that the company could look to raise prices elsewhere to avoid raising the price of the PS5 console.
The PlayStation 5 has already seen price increases outside of the United States in Australia, the UK, New Zealand, and Europe.
While Tao didn’t mention the console, CEO Hiroki Totoki did when discussing possibly moving PS5 production to the US to minimize the effect of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Totokoi said the PS5 console could be manufactured “can be produced locally,” say it could be “an efficient strategy,” that “has to be considered going forward.”
Sony Still Has To Worry About The 30 Percent Tariff On China
Sony still makes the PS5 in China, and even after the 90-day pause, the 30 percent tariff, which is a significant reduction from the 145 percent, is still above the 10 percent on imports into the United States from China.
If Sony does decide to raise its prices, it won’t be the first company to do so. Microsoft recently raised the price of its Xbox consoles by $100, while Nintendo has kept the price of the Switch 2 the same, opting to raise the prices of accessories instead.
We may learn soon enough if Sony does raise the price of the PS5. Until then, you can see reactions to this unfortunate news that we can all blame on Donald Trump.
2. Great question
4. We’re begging Sony
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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
If you’re looking to upgrade your home audio for cheap, you don’t have to break the bank for premium sound. Start with this soundbar and subwoofer from Sony — especially since the system is on sale for nearly 60% off the list price.
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Available at Walmart, the Sony HT-G700 Soundbar is on sale for $249 — or $350 off its list price. In addition, the home soundbar system has a 4.2 out of 5-star rating from almost 125 of the retailer’s shoppers.
And since the Sony HT-G700 Soundbar is from Walmart, you’ll get it shipped to you for free if you’re a Walmart+ member. Otherwise, your cart has to be more than $35 to get free shipping.
If you’re not a member, then you’re in luck: You can sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of everything the retailer’s rewards program has to offer with perks such as free, fast delivery; fuel discounts; streaming access to Paramount+ to watch hit originals; additional savings with early access deals and much more.
In addition, Walmart+ comes with access to SiriusXM for all sorts of talk radio and music — including popular channels such as “The Coffee House” for stripped-down songs from Noah Kahan, Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, Phoebe Bridgers and others. Learn more about what Walmart+ can offer you here.
Sony
Lowest Price Ever
Sony HT-G700 Dolby Atmos Soundbar
$249
$599
58% off
Sony’s soundbar system comes with the soundbar itself and a wireless subwoofer for additional bass and rumble. It’s a 3.1-channel audio set up (three main speakers and one subwoofer) with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio support and Sony‘s Immersive AE Audio Enhancer for upscale sound to a wider and virtual 7.1.2-channel audio (seven main speakers, one subwoofer and two up-firing speakers).
As a result, sound from movies, TV shows, and music is beefier, cleaner, and sharper with multiple ports and connectivity options, such as HDMI ARC and Bluetooth for pairing smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Marked down to $249 (regularly $599), the Sony HT-G700 Soundbar is available at Walmart.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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Nintendo / Nintendo Switch 2 / Getty Images / Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s stupid trade war and his blatant abuse of tariffs continue, showing no clear indication this madness will end.
Orange Mussolini said aht aht aht after numerous reports claiming he was gonna exempt smartphones, PCs, and chips from his sweeping tariffs.
Spotted on Eurogamer, Donald Trump has backtracked on those exemptions, saying “no one is getting off the hook” and “there was no Tariff ‘exception” on his Truth social account. This kills all hope of anyone avoiding the absurd 145 percent tariff he slapped on China.
There is also a separate tariff specifically for semiconductors coming as well.
Per Eurogamer:
Chinese electrical goods would simply now be placed in “a different tariff bucket”, Trump continued, concluding that National Security Tarriff Investigations would be reviewing “the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN”.
US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick has told ABC News that a separate “semiconductor tariff” was now planned – exact details of which are yet to be determined.
“We need to have semiconductors, we need to have chips, and we need to have flat panels, we need to have these things made in America,” Lutnick said. “We can’t be reliant on Southeast Asia for all of the things that operate for us.”
Speaking to CBS News, US trade representative Jamieson Greer confirmed this semiconductor tariff meant Chinese electrical goods had therefore been given something that was “not really an exception. That’s not even the right word for it.”
“It’s not that they won’t be subject to tariffs geared at reshoring,” Greer continued. “They’ll just be under a different regime. It’s shifting from one bucket of tariffs to a different bucket of potential tariffs.”
There is no clear plan for anything this Trump administration does; there is no exact date on when the Trump administration will introduce the semiconductor tariff or how much it will be.
The Gaming Industry Has Begun Prepping For Trump’s Tariffs
The video game world has been prepping and making moves ahead and after Trump’s “Liberation Day.”
Nintendo has already delayed Nintendo Switch 2 preorders in the US indefinitely, begun stockpiling the console in the country, and shifted most of its non-Chinese output there.
Nintendo is not alone. Sony just recently announced it was raising the price of the PlayStation 5’s digital edition in the UK, mainland Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
The company said the “tough decision” was a result of “the backdrop of a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates.”
This nightmare has no end in sight.
Sony has unveiled its latest superstar partnership with none other than chart-topper Post Malone. The global star has teamed up with the brand for the launch of its new Ult Power Sound series, part of Sony’s For The Music audio brand campaign, the company announced on Wednesday (April 9). According to the release, Sony picked […]
New York University (NYU) and Sony Corporation have announced the launch of a new institute at the school through which students will have access to Sony audio technology, be given real-world opportunities and more.
Formally dubbed the Sony Audio Institute for Music Business and Technology, the institute will be based within NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, whose leadership and faculty co-created it alongside Sony’s personal entertainment business. Through the partnership, students enrolled in Steinhardt’s music business and music technology degree programs will have access to Sony audio technology, including 360 Reality Audio and the 360 Virtual Mixing Environment — both of which will be outfitted in the newly-named Sony Audio Institute Studio at NYU’s Brooklyn campus.
NYU’s Music and Audio Research Lab (MARL) will also receive input from Sony researchers and engineers in conducting its research on music and audio technologies. Current areas of focus at MARL include music and auditory perception and cognition; machine listening and music information retrieval; spatial and immersive audio; and music in the health and rehabilitation sciences.
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The institute will additionally offer workshops, internships and special events to students, while NYU venues “will present student-driven programming that bridges the gap between academic learning and real-world industry experiences,” offering students “a platform for hands-on innovation and collaboration,” according to a press release.
Through the institute, NYU will also establish a scholarship program to assist undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students at NYU Steinhardt “who demonstrate financial need and academic merit with a preference for students who have an interest in pursuing research or careers in the audio industry,” the release adds.
The institute, which has been established for an initial 10-year term, is set to open this spring, with NYU Steinhardt clinical professor and music industry veteran Larry S. Miller serving as inaugural director. Miller will also continue serving as the director of the music business program at NYU Steinhardt until fall 2025.
“It is an honor to establish this collaboration with New York University, one of the world’s premier music schools, renowned for its long-standing legacy of producing some of the audio industry’s top talent,” said Kimio Maki, president/CEO at Sony Corporation, in a statement. “Through this collaboration, we look forward to inspiring creativity for the next generation of music creators and witness how their artistry will influence the music industry for years to come.”
NYU president Linda G. Mills added, “We are excited and grateful that Sony has chosen NYU Steinhardt to collaborate on this important initiative, which will create new opportunities for our amazingly talented students through scholarships, internships, research fellowships, and other unrivaled experiences. This forward-looking initiative will not only create new opportunities for creative expression, it will give our students a competitive advantage in a rapidly changing industry. I’d like to thank the team at Sony and everyone at NYU who worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality.”
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
When looking for new home audio products, it can be difficult to find the best Bluetooth speaker that delivers amazing audio quality while still looking sleek and stylish. However, we found the best portable speaker — and it’s on sale.
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And right now, on sale for $118 (reg. $200) at Walmart, the Sony SRS-XE300 Bluetooth Speaker is a portable speaker that syncs to any smartphone. It gives your favorite music richer and fuller audio with deeper bass that you can share with your family and friends at a get-together at home, like a Super Bowl party.
And since the Sony SRS-XE300 Bluetooth Speaker is from Walmart, you’ll get it shipped to you for free if you’re a Walmart+ member. Otherwise, your cart has to be more than $35 to get free shipping.
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If you’re not a member, then you’re in luck: You can sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of everything the retailer’s rewards program has to offer with perks such as free, fast delivery; fuel discounts’ streaming access to Paramount+ to watch hit originals; additional savings with early access deals and much more.
In addition, Walmart+ comes with access to SiriusXM for all sorts of talk radio and music — including popular channels like “The Coffee House” for stripped-down songs from Noah Kahan, Kacey Musgraves, The Lumineers, Phoebe Bridgers and others. Learn more about what Walmart+ can offer you here.
The Sony SRS-XE300 Bluetooth Speaker is also available on Amazon.
Sony SRS-XE300 Bluetooth Speaker
$118
$200
41% off
As for the speaker itself, the Sony SRS-XE300 Bluetooth Speaker is just over nine inches in height, while it’s designed to evenly distribute audio with a powerful and wide soundstage. As a result, your favorite music and podcasts are crystal clear and robust with no distortion.
In addition, the speaker is waterproof, dust-proof, and shockproof (with an IP67 rating), and it provides up to 24 hours of battery life per charge. The Bluetooth speaker is also compatible with the Sony Music Center mobile app for audio customizability, the Sony Fiestable app for fun party effects and Sony Party Connect app to wirelessly daisy chain up to a whopping 100 Sony SRS-XE300 speakers together for the ultimate party.
The Sony SRS-XE300 Bluetooth Speaker is on sale for $118, or $82 off its list price, at Walmart — a 40% savings. It comes in two colors: Black and blue.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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Source: T3 Magazine / Getty / PS4
PS4 PlayStation Plus subscribers received bad news: In 2026, Sony will no longer offer free monthly PS4 games.
You have a year to upgrade your life and get a PS5 or PS5 Pro console because it seems Sony is moving on from the PS4 console and shifting all of its attention to the current generation.
However, all is not lost. Sony will also offer PS4 titles occasionally through PS Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalog.
“As many of our players are currently playing on PS5 and have shifted toward redeeming and accessing PS5 titles from the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit, PlayStation Plus is also evolving with this trend and will focus on offering PS5 titles through the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit starting January 2026,” a statement on the PlayStation Blog reads.
PS Plus members enjoyed the monthly benefit of PS4 and PS5 titles as part of the least expensive “Essential” tier. Those subscribed to the higher tier enjoy a rotating selection of games added to the PlayStation Plus’ Game Catalog.
Another Announcements From PlayStation
Sony did note that PS4 games that users have already added to their collection through the monthly games program will not be affected. Sony said that PC players will now get in-game bonus awards for players who log in with a PSN account on PC ports PlayStation’s first-party titles like the recently announced Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Yup, it looks like the PS4’s time is winding down; it was a good run for the console that blessed us with titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man, The Last of Part II, Infamous Second Son, and more.
On a more positive note, game developers can now focus on making games primarily for the PS5 console and not worry about optimizing them for the PS4.
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Source: T3 Magazine / Getty / PS4
PS4 PlayStation Plus subscribers received bad news: In 2026, Sony will no longer offer free monthly PS4 games.
You have a year to upgrade your life and get a PS5 or PS5 Pro console because it seems Sony is moving on from the PS4 console and shifting all of its attention to the current generation.
However, all is not lost. Sony will also offer PS4 titles occasionally through PS Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalog.
“As many of our players are currently playing on PS5 and have shifted toward redeeming and accessing PS5 titles from the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit, PlayStation Plus is also evolving with this trend and will focus on offering PS5 titles through the Monthly Games and Game Catalog benefit starting January 2026,” a statement on the PlayStation Blog reads.
PS Plus members enjoyed the monthly benefit of PS4 and PS5 titles as part of the least expensive “Essential” tier. Those subscribed to the higher tier enjoy a rotating selection of games added to the PlayStation Plus’ Game Catalog.
Another Announcements From PlayStation
Sony did note that PS4 games that users have already added to their collection through the monthly games program will not be affected. Sony said that PC players will now get in-game bonus awards for players who log in with a PSN account on PC ports PlayStation’s first-party titles like the recently announced Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Yup, it looks like the PS4’s time is winding down; it was a good run for the console that blessed us with titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man, The Last of Part II, Infamous Second Son, and more.
On a more positive note, game developers can now focus on making games primarily for the PS5 console and not worry about optimizing them for the PS4.
Sony Group Corporation has pledged $5 million to support relief efforts related to the Los Angeles-area wildfires. The sum will be allocated to organizations supporting first responders, community relief and rebuilding efforts, as well as employee assistance programs. “Los Angeles has been the home of our entertainment business for more than 35 years. Through our […]