‘We must think carefully about what we will do’: Sony shows hesitance to announce PS6 release date or price due to RAM crisis, and finds itself in the same situation Valve is in with the Steam Machine
- Sony is hesitant to announce the PS6 price or release window, as it remains undecided on the release date and price point
- The CEO, Hiroki Totoki, says forecasts of FY 2027 suggest the price for memory will be ‘very high’
- Sony is now in the same spot as Valve, which still hasn’t announced a price or launch date for the Steam Machine
Price increases for both PC and console hardware are more frequent than ever due to the disruptive RAM crisis, and it has unsurprisingly left some companies fearful of making any sudden decisions.
As reported by VGC, Sony is currently undecided on the PS6 regarding its release date and price, as the memory crisis runs rampant, following in the same footsteps as Valve, as it is still deciding the release date and price for the Steam Machine.
This comes at the same time Nintendo announced the Switch 2’s price hike, which will come into effect from September 1, 2026, and frankly, it highlights the current state of the PC and console markets as the worst in decades — especially since Sony recently raised prices for its PS5 hardware.
It’s no surprise, then, to see Sony concerned about plans for the next game console, PS6, and its CEO, Hiroki Totoki, effectively made it clear that consumers probably shouldn’t be anticipating any major updates on the PS6.
“We have not yet decided on at what timing we will launch the new console, or at what prices,” Totoki said, emphasizing the uncertainty within the market. “So we would like to really observe and follow the situation.
“Looking at the current circumstances, the memory price is also expected to be very high [in] FY 2027, because there will still be a shortage of supply. So under that assumption, we must think carefully what we will do.”
What makes matters worse is that current prices for the PS5 and PS5 Pro are already seen as overpriced by consumers, and that likely means the PS6 — which should be a significantly more powerful console compared to the PS5 — could be in the same ballpark, or worse, more expensive.
If the RAM crisis is still alive and well once 2027 arrives, Sony may be left with no choice but to go with an unpopular price point, which will rub consumers the wrong way regardless. It’s exactly why the Steam Machine’s inevitable launch is still in a limbo state, as Valve doesn’t want to be rash in such uncertain times, and leave consumers frustrated.
It’s only a matter of time before updates arrive from both Sony and Valve (with the latter likely being much sooner), but fans shouldn’t be surprised if both gaming systems end up being unaffordable.
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