Sony PlayStation prices increased by about 30% in the Middle East, with the conflict in the region affecting helium supply as one of the factors.

Sony's popular game console PlayStation will once again raise its price by $100, marking the second increase in less than a year for the company. The Japanese company cited "continued pressure in the global economic environment" as the reason for the price adjustment, with the PS5's price in the US market to be adjusted to $649.99 starting next Thursday. The digital edition price will also be raised by $100 to $599.99, while the PS5 Pro will go up by $150 to $899.99. By the end of next week, the price of Sony's PlayStation will increase by approximately 30% compared to the same period last year. Sony stated on its official blog: "We are aware that price adjustments will impact our user base, but after careful evaluation, we believe this is necessary to ensure the continued delivery of innovative, high-quality gaming experiences for players worldwide." While Sony did not explicitly mention this factor, last week's attack on Qatar's natural gas export facilities by Iran, which forced them to shut down, threatened the supply of a key raw material for computer chip production - helium. According to data from the US Geological Survey, Qatar supplies one-third of the world's helium gas.