Phones, computers, consoles… Middle East war causes prices of new technology to soar

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Our phone, our computer, our gaming console: it’s hard to live without them every day. High-tech objects whose prices are likely to soar due to the war in the Middle East. On Friday, March 27th, Sony, one of the heavyweights in the sector, announced price increases on its flagship product. “Due to ongoing pressures in the global economic landscape, we have decided to raise 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 likely an increase of 20% easily. A computer that cost 400 euros could now cost 500 euros”, notes the manager. The price increases are difficult for customers to bear. “I think the prices are already particularly high, especially for phones”, laments one man. “These are difficult consequences in daily life”, agrees a passerby.

How to explain such a price increase? The reason lies in electronic chips, those tiny components that the world is clamoring for. The market was already very tight and the war is worsening the situation. To produce them, manufacturers need helium, a gas largely extracted in Qatar, in the giant Ras Laffan factory. 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, technology expert at Numerama. “For now, we still have some stock, but production costs have already increased. So, when products hit the market, prices will automatically go up”, he points out. New price increases that could multiply in the coming weeks.