Sales of the PlayStation 5 spiked across the US in early April — but not because of a new game or feature. Instead, gamers rushed to buy before Sony’s latest price increases kicked in.

With the base model jumping from $499 to $599 and the Pro version climbing even higher, many buyers decided it was now or never. The surge highlights a growing trend in gaming: rising hardware costs are starting to influence buying behavior just as much as new releases or performance upgrades.