Sony's Days of Play 2026 may skip PS5 discounts after price hike

Sony's Days of Play 2026 sale is reportedly arriving May 27, but if you were holding out for a PS5 price cut to soften the blow of the recent hardware price increase, brace yourself: according to reliable Dealabs leaker billbil-kun, no Sony-backed console discount is currently in the cards.

What the leaked deals actually cover

Billbil-kun's report puts Days of Play 2026 running from May 27 through June 10, overlapping with Sony's State of Play showcase on June 2, which is expected to run over 60 minutes and includes a fresh look at Marvel's Wolverine. The sale timing is well-placed for hype, but the actual hardware deals tell a different story.

Here's the lowdown on what discounts are reportedly expected:

• DualSense controllers down approximately $20 (from roughly $74.99 to $59.99 equivalent)
• DualSense Edge dropping from roughly $239.99 to $209.99
• PSVR 2 seeing one of the bigger cuts, from around $489.99 down to approximately $379.99
• Ghost of Yotei expected to drop from roughly $87.99 to $59.99
• Pulse Elite headset and Pulse Explore earbuds each getting at least a $20 reduction
• PlayStation Plus subscribers may get an extra 5% off through PlayStation Direct, reportedly stackable with Days of Play offers

Accessories, peripherals, and a handful of games. No consoles.

The price hike context that makes this sting

Here's the thing: Sony recently raised PS5 hardware prices across the board. The standard PS5 now sits at $649.99, the Digital Edition at $599.99, and the PS5 Pro at $899.99. That's the backdrop against which the absence of any console discount lands hardest.

The timing is particularly awkward because Call of Duty's next entry has been confirmed as PS5-only, cutting off PS4 players who were still riding out the old generation. Those players now need to upgrade, and Days of Play would have been the most logical moment for Sony to make that transition easier with a discount. Instead, they're looking at full retail price on hardware that already got more expensive.

The reason behind the missing console discount may not be entirely Sony's choice. Rising costs for RAM and NAND flash memory, driven largely by surging AI-related demand, have pushed component prices higher across the industry. Sony may simply have less margin to work with on hardware right now.

PS Plus discount may stack with sale

A sale that still has value, just not for console buyers

For anyone already on PS5, Days of Play 2026 is still worth paying attention to. The PSVR 2 discount in particular is meaningful if you've been sitting on the fence about Sony's headset. A drop of roughly $110 off the current price is the kind of cut that moves units, and the accessory deals are genuinely solid for players looking to pick up a second controller or upgrade their audio setup.

For PS4 holdouts, though, the math is rough. Full price on the standard PS5, a recently increased subscription cost for PlayStation Plus, and a State of Play that's likely to announce more PS5 exclusives. That's a lot of financial pressure landing at once.

Sony is expected to officially confirm Days of Play 2026 details in the coming days, ahead of the May 27 start date. If you want to plan your purchases or compare what's worth grabbing, check out our game reviews to see which PS5 titles are actually worth buying at sale prices. For players new to the platform, our gaming guides cover everything from PS5 setup tips to getting the most out of PlayStation Plus.