Sony Reportedly Struggling With PS6 Pricing Amid GDDR7 Memory Crisis

Sony executives reportedly admitted during recent earnings discussions that the launch timing for the rumored PlayStation 6 remains undecided, with the biggest factor for the delay being rising RAM prices and shortages.

The company is struggling to balance next-generation expectations with manufacturing costs, especially as GDDR7 memory pricing continues to rise across the industry.

Memory prices may shape the PS6 launch window

Modern gaming consoles rely heavily on large unified memory pools and high memory bandwidth to handle advanced graphics, ray tracing, AI systems, and large open-world assets.

Industry analysts reportedly believe memory shortages could continue until 2030, creating additional pressure for console makers preparing next-generation hardware.

That situation reportedly leaves Sony in a difficult position. The company must either raise prices, thus alienating potential buyers, or reduce hardware power to keep the console at a more affordable launch price.

Sony reportedly considering smaller memory configurations

Known AMD leaker KeplerL2 claims Sony has limited options if it wants to avoid an extremely expensive console.

According to the leaks, major hardware cutbacks could damage consumer expectations around what qualifies as a true “next-generation” system.

Sony reportedly still wants the system to include at least a 1TB SSD, but other areas may see reductions. Current rumors suggest the console could ship with 24GB of RAM and a 128-bit memory bus instead of more aggressive configurations.

KeplerL2 reportedly claims a smaller memory bus could reduce bill-of-material costs by roughly $60 while also improving chip yields during manufacturing. The approach would allegedly allow Sony to disable defective memory controllers more efficiently on partially faulty chips.

Developers reportedly prefer larger RAM pools

The same leaks claim developers increasingly prefer more memory capacity over pushing bandwidth numbers higher.

Modern games reportedly face growing memory pressure due to asset streaming demands, ray tracing data, AI systems, and increasingly large texture sizes. Developers allegedly see larger memory pools as more important for future titles than extremely high bandwidth alone.

Sony also reportedly wants to avoid launching a console with an excessively high retail price while many players still remain satisfied with the PlayStation 5.

Some rumors currently point to a possible $699 launch price for the PlayStation 6, although Sony has not officially confirmed any specifications, pricing, or release timing. However, it’s speculated that we might see the new console in 2027 or early 2028.

Leaks additionally claim Sony wants the system to remain competitive with Project Helix, without falling behind in performance.

Via Wccftech