Published: March 28, 2026 20:50
Reading Time: 2min – Video: 2min
The tech sector is destabilized by the war in the Middle East. The prices of mobile phones, computers, and gaming consoles are increasing significantly.
Our phone, computer, gaming console: it’s hard to go without them on a daily basis. However, the prices of these high-tech items might soar due to the war in the Middle East. On Friday, March 27, Sony, a heavyweight in the sector, announced price hikes on its flagship product. “Due to ongoing pressures in the global economic landscape, we have decided to increase the price of the PS5 worldwide,” communicated the giant. The PlayStation 5 will increase from 549 to 649 euros, an increase of 100 euros.
Consoles are not the only ones affected. Gino Woll, manager of a computer store, has seen prices rise in recent weeks. “I would say there is easily a 20% increase. A computer that used to cost 400 euros might now cost 500 euros,” notes the manager. The price hikes are hard to absorb for customers. “I think the prices are already particularly high, especially for phones,” regrets one man. “These are difficult consequences to deal with on a daily basis,” agrees a passerby.
How to explain such an increase? The reason lies in the electronic chips, those tiny components that the world is fighting over. The market was already very tense, and the war is worsening the situation. To produce them, manufacturers need helium, a gas mainly extracted in Qatar, at the massive Ras Laffan plant. But Iranian strikes on the site have halted production. Without helium, there are no chips.
They will therefore be rarer on the market and more expensive, according to Amine Baba Aissa, a technology expert at Numerama. “For now, we still have stock, but production costs have already increased. So, when products hit the market, prices will automatically rise,” he observes. New price increases that could multiply in the coming weeks.
