PS6 release date could be delayed due to relentless AI buying up all tech

Sony’s next-generation console could be a way off due to the massive increase in demand for RAM as insiders also fear that Nintendo may bump up the cost of its Switch 2

Sony could be set to slam the brakes on its next big console as a global memory crunch bites amid Big Tech’s AI gold rush.

The tech giant is weighing up a delay to the launch of the PlayStation 6 as tech titans pour cash into artificial intelligence, sending demand for RAM through the roof. Companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta have ramped up spending on AI data centres.

And because huge amounts of RAM are needed to power AI platforms, the need to stay competitive has dramatically increased demand. The squeeze is already hitting consumer tech, with Valve announcing a delay to its Steam Machines as it grapples with memory and storage shortages.

Elsewhere, Microsoft is reportedly preparing to hike the price of its Xbox Series X/S again in response to global RAM shortages. According to Eurogamer, Bloomberg cited “people familiar with the company’s thinking” who reckon Sony is considering shifting the release of PlayStation 6 to 2028 – or even 2029.

The company has never publicly discussed a launch window for its next-gen console.

However, documents leaked in 2022 suggested it would not release PS6 until at least 2027. Since then, reports have claimed Sony was looking to begin manufacturing its next-gen console early next year for a 2027 release.

But some analysts now believe a launch in 2028 or beyond is more likely. Bloomberg writes that if Sony does delay as a result of memory issues, it would be a “major upset to a carefully orchestrated strategy to sustain user engagement between hardware generations”.

Elsewhere, Bloomberg says Nintendo could be lining up a price hike for Switch 2. Citing “people familiar with [the company’s] plans”, the outlet claims Nintendo is currently “contemplating” raising the price of its latest console – which has sold more than 17 million units since launching in 2025 – later this year.

Back in January, Nintendo said RAM shortages would have no “immediate impact” on the price of Switch 2.

But earlier this month, company president Shuntaro Furukawa warned things could change if the trend continues into the next fiscal year.

Sony’s most current console – the PlayStation 5 – launched in 2020 and has sold more than 92 million units to date.

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