It sure is looking like the PS6 will cost over US$1,000

PlayStation’s next console is likely going to be even more expensive than you might think.

According to credible AMD leaker KeplerL2, Sony’s unannounced successor to the PS5, which will presumably be called the PS6, will have RAM + NAND components that cost “over [US]$680,” or roughly C$940.

It’s important to stress that this only pertains to memory and storage, not any other parts that would be necessary to build a PS6. As a result, it’s estimated PlayStation would be spending about US$1,000 (roughly C$1382) just to make each of these next-gen consoles. In other words, even if PlayStation decided to eat the costs and sell at a loss, this would still be extremely expensive for consumers.

The main reason for these astronomical costs, naturally, is the AI-driven global component shortage affecting the tech industry as a whole. This has led analysts to speculate that the PS6 will cost well over US$1000. For context, the PS5 Pro is currently priced at US$899.99/C$1,099.99, so the jump from that to the rumoured minimum PS6 cost isn’t actually that much, making it even likelier to be true.

Originally, people had once been expecting the PS6 would release in 2027, seven years after the PS5 and the same gap between it and the PS4. But given component shortages and associated price increases, it’s speculated that Sony might wait until 2028 or later now.

It’s worth noting that AMD had teased in February that Xbox was planning to debut its next console, codenamed Helix, in 2027. But given that it’s been the better part of a year since, it’s unclear whether those plans may have changed.

What we do know, though, is that physical games won’t be a part of PlayStation’s future. Starting in 2028, the company will only produce digital media, a decision it attributed to diminishing physical game sales. This is despite the fact that there are many reasons why the killing of physical media is damaging to the future of the gaming industry, from  preservation and ownership standpoints to removing more affordable options for consumers.

Xbox, for its part, hasn’t committed to ending physical games production, although it’s currently running a program that lets users get digital versions of discs they own. Nintendo, meanwhile, has explicitly said it still plans to produce physical games while offering discounts for those who buy digital versions.

Source: KeplerL2 — NeoGAF Via: VGC