Ever since the PS2, or the sixth console generation, it took about seven years before the next generation gets introduced. The PS5, or the ninth generation, missed it by a year. And now, the 10th-generation, and by extension the PS6, may miss the the 2027 – 2028 launch window. What’s to blame? Why, this whole situation with memory prices, of course.
Industry insider Tom Henderson reports via his Insider Gaming outlet that console makers are considering delaying their usual launch window while hoping that RAM prices stabilise. As mentioned, this may go beyond the expected 2027 – 2028 window. The report notes that these companies are hoping that RAM manufacturers will be able to build up their infrastructure to make more, which will help stabilise prices.
The volatility of memory prices currently will also mean that the next-generation consoles will also cost a lot more. They were already expected to be a lot more expensive, but these prices are expected to be exacerbated by the current volatile memory prices. Worse, these price hikes may also spill over to the current generation, just as the next generation creeps closer.
Of course, that’s all in the future. There are a lot more immediate effects of the whole memory pricing situation. Sales of other PC components are dropping as a result, companies are winding down their consumer-facing brands or moving their production priorities around.
(Source: Insider Gaming)
