85%
Highly Likely
If you have been following tech news lately, you are already aware that the entire tech industry is facing a considerable challenge with RAM availability, as manufacturers prioritize production for AI data centers, in some cases abandoning consumer production, such as Micron with its Crucial brand.
The current RAM price increases, however, are only the beginning, as not only prices for many products are expected to increase next year, but product launches could also be delayed until the situation normalizes. Even the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Next may not be immune to this, and could be delayed beyond their 2027-2028 release window.
In a new report posted today by Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson, who proved to be an extremely reliable leaker in the past, console manufacturers are in a very tricky spot due to the massive RAM price increases. "While consoles have traditionally been subsidised to a certain extent in the past, it seems like RAM availability and price increases will mean that the next generation of consoles, which were already believed to be much higher in price than previous generations, could be extortionate," the report reads.
As such, from what Insider Gaming understands, the current situation has led Sony and Microsoft to debate whether the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Next should be delayed beyond their currently 2027-2028 release window, in the hope that "RAM manufacturers will be able to build out their infrastructure to produce more RAM," allowing prices to drop.
Pricing the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Next right is going to be critical for both systems, as the one factor that makes gamers flock to consoles instead of gaming PCs is their lower price. In the past few months, it was suggested that Sony's next-generation system would be priced reasonably, offering a 4K, 120 FPS capable machine at a reasonable price, but with even the price of current generation consoles having been increased earlier this year due to the current economic situation and tariffs, it seems unlikely that Sony will be able to keep the price of its new system down.
Though the Xbox Next is reportedly not going to compete against the PlayStation 6, but with gaming PCs, the RAM price increase will surely impact Microsoft's system considerably. The system is already looking to be more expensive than Sony's system due to the AMD Magnus APU that will power it, so it will be interesting to see how all manufacturers will be able to overcome these unprecedented challenges, and if this will be the final console generation due to the increasing dominance of PC on the market.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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