Insider confirms new Xbox and PS6 console release dates are in doubt because of high memory prices

With record-high memory prices, gamers have wondered about the impact on next-generation consoles. Sony could launch the PS6 as soon as 2027, while Microsoft and AMD are developing a new Xbox console. Unfortunately, Tom Henderson of Insider Gaming is verifying that conversations about potential delays have begun.

Insider Gaming first speculated that the manufacturers may change their plans on a recent podcast. Now, the idea that the next Xbox and PS6 release dates are in jeopardy is more realistic. According to Henderson, the “situation has led console manufacturers to debate whether the next generation of consoles should be delayed from their intended 2027-2028 release window.”

The waiting game for memory prices to settle

Another option for Sony and Microsoft is to raise the MSRPs of the upcoming systems. However, the insider explains how there is hope that memory prices will moderate sooner than feared. Major memory suppliers like Samsung and SK Hynix may also increase DRAM production to alleviate the shortage. Still, for now, they seem content with serving only the needs of expanding AI data centers.

Both the new Xbox console and PS6 will likely use GDDR7 memory. VRAM found in GPUs, as well as the DDR5 modules used in desktops and laptops, are both affected by the shrinking DRAM supply. Microsoft’s system may resemble a Windows gaming PC, which has become increasingly expensive to build.

The PS5 and Xbox Series X era may be extended

The podcast also discussed how the manufacturers should approach the next several years. Gamers already saw a surprising slowdown in U.S. console sales in November. A significantly higher next-gen Xbox or PS6 price point may only further decrease revenue.

Instead of marketing new hardware, the panel suggested discounting the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Even so, with rising component costs also an issue for older devices, that may be unlikely. In fact, ill-prepared for the crisis, leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead hinted that Microsoft may further hike the price of its existing consoles.

Valve’s Steam Machine is also not safe from the astronomical DDR5 RAM prices. There have been rumblings that Valve could delay the compact Linux PC out of its anticipated Q1 2026 release window.