The gaming industry has been beset by price hikes all year long.Credit: Fototocam /
A well-known leaker in the gaming hardware space claimed this week that it costs Sony nearly $1,000 to make its upcoming PlayStation 6 console. If true, the console’s eventual retail price could be significantly higher.
According to KeplerL2, a leaker known for accurate gaming hardware leaks, Sony’s costs to manufacture its upcoming PlayStation 6 console recently went up by $200. Kepler2 reported earlier this year that, due to rising costs, the PlayStation 6’s bill of materials was at $760. So, the leaker now says that ever-increasing costs have pushed the manufacturing cost of the PlayStation 6 to a whopping $960.
The AI boom continues to cause massive supply issues for computer chips, storage, and memory worldwide. That’s led to a wave of price increases in the gaming world, with all of the big console makers raising prices. Most recently, Microsoft announced that it will raise prices on the current generation of Xbox consoles by as much as $150 starting in August.
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Supply chain experts interviewed by Mashable say that the memory shortage known as RAMageddon could get worsebefore it gets better. That’s bad news for gamers looking forward to the next generation of consoles, like the highly anticipated PlayStation 6. For instance, the soon-to-be-released Steam Machine console recently arrived with a whopping $1,049 price tag.
How much the Sony PlayStation 6 could cost
What does this report mean for gamers? Basically, it’s highly unlikely that Sony would sell the PlayStation 6 for below cost. In fact, gaming news outlet Kotaku points to a recent Sony Q&A posted on its corporate website where the company says they’re not looking to sell the console for less than it costs Sony.
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“As for pricing, it is not realistic for us to absorb all the component cost increases, and we have already implemented some price increases outside of Japan,” Sony said in reply to a question about pricing for its next generation video game consoles. “As a principle, we do not intend to sell hardware at significant losses.”
This means that consumers are likely looking at a $1,000 PlayStation 6 — and that’s without Sony making any profit.
AI companies have only ramped up the supply and demand issues. Earlier this year, hard drive manufacturer Western Digital shared that it expects shortages to continue as the company has already sold out its storage supply for 2026 and AI companies are already buying up supply well into 2028.
Sony is reportedly still targeting a release date for the PlayStation 6 for the 2027 holiday season. However, there have been previous reports that suggested that the ongoing memory shortages could potentially push that launch date beyond next year.
Are gamers willing to buy the latest gaming console at exorbitant prices, or will it make more sense to wait out the supply issues and launch at a lower price? That’s a calculation that Sony has to make.
TopicsArtificial IntelligenceGamingPlayStationVideo Games
Matt Binder joined Mashable’s tech vertical in 2018, where he covers social media, tech policy, cybersecurity, online scams, cryptocurrency, AI, creator news, weird tech, and other related tech beats.
