New estimates suggest the PlayStation 6's RAM and NAND memory alone will cost $680 (£510) per console, before any other components are added, making the final retail price likely to exceed $1,000 (£750).
The idea that the PlayStation 6 and Xbox's Project Helix will cost more than $1,000 has circulated for years, since the component crisis driven by AI data centre construction pushed memory and hard drive prices up. Although there are signs the AI bubble may be bursting, prices continue to rise, leaving Sony and Microsoft with little room to keep console costs down unless they sell at a loss—something Sony has said it does not intend to do.
Memory costs alone exceed $680
Industry leaker KeplerL2, posting on the NeoGAF forum, claimed that RAM and NAND (a type of flash memory) will cost over $680 for each console. KeplerL2 had previously stated that raw materials for the PlayStation 6 were already nearly $1,000. If that bill of materials figure has risen, the console will almost certainly cost more than £1,000, a figure that would be remarkable for a mass market device.
Given the PS5 Pro already costs nearly £800 in the UK, a new console exceeding £1,000 is no longer as improbable as it seemed at the start of this generation. However, the PS5 Pro targets hardcore fans, not casual gamers.
Launch timing uncertain
Rumours suggest Project Helix aims for a 2027 launch, with Sony possibly matching that, but neither manufacturer has likely finalised plans given market volatility. The next generation could be delayed if the component crisis subsides, which is more likely if the data centre industry collapses, though that would have wider economic effects. Sony has given no official indication of when the PlayStation 6 might arrive.
Apart from KeplerL2's revelations, most rumours about Sony's next-gen plans centre on a portable device believed to run PlayStation 5 games at lower fidelity. The situation remains unclear with little official information, but rising RAM and hard drive costs are a concrete problem that even Microsoft cannot bypass. A portable based on current-gen technology could serve as a stopgap before a traditional PlayStation 6, but Sony's actual plans are unconfirmed, with no indication of when an official announcement might come.
