AI-driven RAM demand is squeezing component supplies and could delay the next console generation
Yan Krukau / Pexels
Sony and Microsoft’s next-generation gaming consoles, widely expected to arrive around 2027 or 2028, may not hit store shelves when many gamers had hoped. According to a recent report by Insider Gaming, massive price increases and tight supplies for RAM are forcing both companies to debate whether they should delay their next consoles’ launches until memory availability improves.
Photo by Benedict Calano on Unsplash
DRAM and other memory components have seen sharp price spikes this year, driven largely by rising demand from artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centers that outbid consumer device makers for limited chip production capacity. That has made securing memory for gaming consoles more expensive and uncertain, potentially pushing up production costs for the PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox beyond what Sony and Microsoft would prefer at launch.
Memory Market Squeeze Hitting Hardware Plans
Originally, both platforms were pegged to follow the traditional seven-to-eight-year console cycle, with the PS6 and its Xbox counterpart expected somewhere in the 2027–28 window. Now, that rhythm may shift as RAM producers build out capacity and prices potentially ease.
This isn’t just about timing. Launching next-generation consoles in a high-cost environment can have knock-on effects on game development timetables and recommended retail prices, potentially resulting in pricier hardware for consumers. What’s more, is that it could also mean that the current PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S generation, already seeing multiple price increases, remains relevant and in production longer than initially planned.
Xbox
For gamers, this scenario has a mix of good and bad implications. On one hand, it may delay the hardware-driven leap in performance and features you’d see with a new console generation. On the other hand, it might give developers more time to extract value and creativity from the current generation, which still has thousands of titles and ongoing services fueling engagement. With memory costs climbing and broader market pressures reshaping hardware investment decisions, a delay — or at least a reconsideration of how and when to launch — seems more plausible than it did a year ago.
Varun is an experienced technology journalist and editor with over eight years in consumer tech media. His work spans…
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