PlayStation Has a Dynamic Pricing Problem, Pay More For Same Game

Since November 2025, Sony has allegedly been running a test where the same games are shown to different users at different prices. Now, users on Reddit are reporting that they’re seeing dynamic prices on first-party AAA hits. That might not be as bad as it sounds, hear me out.

Dynamic pricing, sometimes called surge or demand-based pricing, is all-too-common if you’ve ever tried to score concert tickets. It’s a pricing strategy where companies can adjust the price of something you’re trying to buy based on different factors. If it’s popular, a company could spike the price high. On the other hand, if demand is low, the price could fall.

A user known as u/TheLimeyLemmon on Reddit sparked a massive debate in the r/mildlyinfuriating community when they noticed a price hike in real-time.

While browsing Assassin’s Creed Unity on the PlayStation Store, the price was listed at a tantalizing £3.74. However, they claim the moment they signed into their PSN account, the price jumped to £9.99.

"Inflation must have hit when the page reloaded," one user joked, while others claimed the price remained at £3.74 for them regardless of their login status. We tested this ourselves, and the price remained at £2.74.

I must stress, this could be a glitch. Sony has not issued a statement around dynamic pricing at time of writing. However, a test like this is usually random, only impacting a small number of users.

According to data from PSPrices, PlayStation’s dynamic pricing spans 150 games across 68 regions, including games like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarök, Stellar Blade, HELLDIVERS 2 and ASTRO BOT.

The outlet claims that Sony has been A/B testing prices in the PlayStation Store since November 2025. That’s over three months of secrecy, where the experiment grew from 50 games in 30 regions to over 150 games in 68 regions.

What should you do?

If you think a price looks high, check the store in an "Incognito" window or while signed out to see if you’re being served an experimental "High" price.

Of course, this could also work out well for you. PSPrices claims that some PS5 players are actually getting discounts, with one paying 17.6% less than other users for WWE 2K25.

Here’s every game impacted by the dynamic prices, according to PSPrices:

• ASTRO BOT – €69.99 down to €61.16, a 12.6% saving.
• DOOM: The Dark Ages – €79.99 down to €69.99, a 12.5% saving.
• God of War Ragnarök – €79.99 down to €69.99, a 12.5% saving.
• Gran Turismo 7 – €79.99 down to €69.99, a 12.5% saving.
• HELLDIVERS 2 – €39.99 down to €35.74, a 10.6% saving.
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II – €69.99 down to €59.57, a 14.9% saving.
• Mafia: The Old Country – €49.99 down to €47.35, a 5.3% saving.
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – €79.99 down to €69.99, a 12.5% saving.
• Red Dead Redemption 2 – €49.99 down to €44.99, a 10.0% saving.
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII – €69.99 down to €62.63, a 10.5% saving.
• Stellar Blade – €79.99 down to €69.99, a 12.5% saving.
• The Last of Us Part II Remastered – €49.99 down to €44.99, a 10.0% saving.
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – €69.99 down to €58.35, a 16.6% saving.
• WWE 2K25 – €74.99 down to €61.82, a 17.6% saving.

Could this mean personalised PlayStation Sales?

While the current intent of this dynamic price test from PlayStation is unclear, it could mean the company is thinking about creating personalized discounts for players.

We’ve all checked out a sale to be disappointed by the offering - that could be a thing of the past.

If PlayStation’s algorithm thinks you are "on the fence" about a purchase, it might drop the price just for you to secure the sale.

Could dynamic pricing be a permanent feature of the PS6 era? Nobody knows for sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

The scale of the 2026 expansion - from 50 games in 30 regions to over 150 games in 68 regions far beyond Europe suggests they are building the infrastructure for a permanent, algorithmic store.

Would you want this?