Console manufacturers are likely to face sharply increased production costs that make controlling retail prices difficult, while current generation consoles are expected to raise their prices in 2026.
A report from Inside-Gaming reveals that continuously rising RAM prices, driven by huge demand from the AI industry, are becoming a key factor potentially delaying the launch of next-generation consoles. Discussions at the executive level have already begun regarding the impact of RAM market supply on new gaming systems.
The industry is currently concerned about the ability to mass-produce consoles at competitive prices, as RAM module costs have surged by several hundred percent in recent months. With AI technology expansion showing no signs of slowing, RAM has become a critical bottleneck, pushing component prices to new highs.
This situation places console makers, including Sony's PlayStation 6 (PS6), in a challenging position. Although consoles are traditionally subsidized initially to ease consumer access, the substantial increase in RAM prices could cause next-generation consoles—already expected to be costly—to reach price points that are difficult for average consumers to accept.
Consequently, console manufacturers are discussing postponing the launch schedule of the next models, originally planned for 2027-2028, to wait for RAM producers to expand production capacity sufficiently. This is expected to lower component prices to more reasonable levels.
Meanwhile, there is a high likelihood that current market consoles will experience another price increase within 2026 as this uncertainty continues.