PS6 price update is bad news for millions of gamers

At launch, the price of a PlayStation 6 could be out of reach for many—if not most—gamers. Right now, the PS5 retails for about $200 more than it did at launch, due to the rising price of components. In particular, the skyrocketing cost of RAM, driven ever upwards by the massive demands of AI data centers, is having an outsized effect on the cost of consoles. Some are even speculating that a next-generation console, such as the PS6, could cost more than $1000.

According to an inside leaker who has been correct about AMD hardware pricing in the past, the PS6 will be more expensive than ever. In a NeoGAF thread, Kepler_L2 said that the PS6's "RAM + NAND alone is over $680," which is far more than when the design for the PS6 was originally confirmed, supporting the possibility of the console retailing for more than $1000. Console prices, many of which have received price hikes multiple times in the last year, are making consoles prohibitively expensive. As a result, many consumers are simply not buying, meaning low console sales for both PlayStation and Xbox. While GTA VI will likely boost sales on release, it will be a struggle to convince gamers to pay what could be very high prices for next-generation consoles.

It's important to note, of course, that Sony has not even announced the console or any statements about the price or specifications of the PS6 at this time. There has been speculation that the console release date being pushed out past the expected 2027 window due to high RAM costs, in an effort to keep the price low. With no end to the "RAM crisis" in sight, however, it's difficult to say whether postponing the release will be enough to normalize prices. Sony has also said that it will not be able to sell the console at a 'significant' loss.