The PlayStation 5 released in November of 2020, and despite its 6 year existence, we may be only two thirds through its time in the sun. With the PS5 as such a major success, a PS6 release feels inevitable – but inevitable doesn’t mean ‘soon’.
According to recent reports, the pressure placed on the computing hardware industry (the same one spiking PC building costs, and the one that’ll likely raise Nintendo Switch 2 prices), is putting strain on the development of Sony’s PlayStation 6.
A Bloomberg report showed how the AI-fueled surge in RAM demand will “constrain production” for many of the biggest tech companies, citing Apple and Tesla on the issue. Hardware prices are spiking so fast, that it’s “starting to look a bit like the Weimar Republic’s hyperinflation”, the report claims.
And if things are getting rough for the titans of tech, things are worse for the mere giants of the world. And Sony – a major corporation, but no Apple – certainly fits into that category. According to the report, Sony “is now considering pushing back the debut of its next PlayStation console to 2028 or even 2029”
GameRant notes that this would mark the all-time longest gulf between PlayStation console releases. Typical lifespans were in the 6 or 7 year range; pushing things into 8 or 9 years would make the PS5 Sony’s longest-lasting PlayStation, even if the delays were minimal.
A Delayed PlayStation 6 Release May Be Easier On Your Wallet
Super-high console prices are generally not good for the games industry. When game sales are such big moneymakers, you need customers to be able to leap that first hurdle. But production expenses influence end costs – we saw that with tariffs, and we’re seeing it here.
But expenses can go down, too. Many technologies have gotten cheaper over time. And to address a certain elephant in the room: bubbles pop.
There’s a gamble being played by delaying a project like the PlayStation 6, but it’s not entirely an unfounded one. It is entirely possible that a PS6 built in 2028 will be cheaper than one built in 2027. And if that happens, there will be more people who can buy PS6 games – something obviously attractive to developers.
Still, there is also an obvious cost to delays. Not only is it possible that prices may not decrease far enough to matter, it also means players will be stuck on the PS5 for much longer than usual. At the very least, new game support for the PS5 doesn’t seem to be wearing down anytime soon.
“It’s actually wiser to hold off doing business today, as prices are almost certain to be higher tomorrow,” said a DIY PC shop owner in the Bloomberg article. “Unless Steve Jobs rises from the dead to declare that AI is nothing but a bubble, this trend is likely to persist for some time.”
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