UPDATE – Local distributor Prima Interactive has provided feedback on the latest game price hikes in SA. The distributor says that in order to accommodate gamers in the country, both the upcoming Diablo 4 and Final Fantasy XVI will revert back to the original listing prices. The company will be absorbing the shortfall in the meantime.
There is a fair warning though – these prices won’t be permanent. Any new pre-orders going up post-Final Fantasy XVI in June will be listed at the higher price tags should the exchange rate stay where it is. However, for now, gamers can rest easy knowing that the few select titles coming our way won’t cost as much. This means you can still pick Diablo 4 and Final Fantasy XVI up for the following prices in SA:
Diablo 4
Final Fantasy XVI
Original Article Follows
I hate to be the person to share this news with you but South African video game prices are about to hit a new all-time high. And when I mean “all-time” I mean so high that gamers in SA will have to make some serious decisions about what to buy in the months ahead.
According to new local listings for Diablo 4 and Final Fantasy XVI, physical games in South Africa have officially edged to the R2,000 mark. If you pick up the Standard Edition of Diablo 4, it will cost you R1,999 a copy on PS4, PS5 and Xbox.
Final Fantasy XVI has also been hit with a price hike. Currently, the Standard Edition version costs R1799 and the Deluxe Edition has soared to R2499.
The silver lining at the moment is that digital prices remain unaffected. However, we have received word that these prices will be adjusted in the weeks ahead as the local exchange rate hits an all-time low. Usually, these prices are adjusted on a three-month basis and given the rand’s weak listing for the past few months, prices will be adjusted to reflect the current exchange rate.
We are also waiting on confirmation from publishers as to what happens to existing pre-orders on these games. Given the drastic price increase, we don’t know if customers in South Africa will have to pay the difference in order to secure their copy. As soon as we hear back from retailers we will let you know.
Of course, it is also difficult to justify the price of physicial games in South Africa now given how much more affordable digital copies are (for now). The Standard Edition of Diablo 4 costs the same as the Ultimate Edition on the PlayStation and Xbox store. Final Fantasy XVI’s Deluxe Edition is R1789 on the PlayStation Store in comparison to the new R2499 price tag at retail (you do get a fancy box, map and some extra goodies with the retail version though).
One thing is for sure, games better be good. “Good” enough to spend R2000 on a standard edition. We will share more information on this ongoing story as it develops.
Be sure to check out our pre-order guide for Diablo 4 here.
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