This article was updated by Andrea Trama on 9 April 2026, with mentions of the PS6's rumored price and new predictions about cloud gaming. It was first published on March 30.
Sony's PlayStation 6 the console could be expensive to manufacture, according to a report by a hardware insider on social media. Although Sony has been tight-lipped about the next PlayStation console's price and capabilities, the cost to manufacture and sell each unit would depend on some ongoing market factors, such as the DRAM shortage crisis.
The latest PS6 news comes amid a controversial time for the PlayStation brand. Due to the aforementioned RAM crisis affecting prices across the global economy, prices for the PS5 console series will be increasing worldwide, starting Thursday, April 2nd. The disc-based PS5 Slim console will start at $649.99, up from the current $549, with the digital variant going up from $499 to $599. The biggest price jump will be for the PS5 Pro, as it will increase from $749 to $899, a price increase of $150 from its current position. Ergo, interested console buyers don't have much time left to get a new PS5 system before prices go up on April 2nd.
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The PS6 could cost Sony around $760 to manufacture
While PS6 rumors should be taken with a grain of salt, a hardware insider shared how much Sony's next-gen console could cost the company per unit to produce. In a thread dedicated to the PS5 price hikes, hardware insider KeplerL2 posted on NeoGAF after being asked how much the PS6 could cost once it launches. KeplerL2 stated that their current bill of materials (BOM) estimate for the PS6 is around $760, with a potential subsidized manufacturing cost of $699 also reasonable. But KeplerL2 also questioned whether Sony would consider a subsidized manufacturing price. It's worth noting that the BOM estimate is not the same as the MSRP, and the actual price that consumers might pay for the PS6 would be much higher than the estimated material costs. Given that Xbox's Project Helix console could have an MSRP of over $1,000, the PS6 could follow suit.
According to various reports and leaks about the PS6, Sony's next-gen system may have features such as a removable disc drive and a handheld variant of the console similar to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck. The PS6 is also said to use AMD components, such as an 8-core Zen 6 APU with RDNA 5 graphics, making it capable of high-resolution ray tracing. Since Project Helix also partners with AMD for its components, the fact that Microsoft's new console could cross the $1,000 threshold means that Sony's PS6 could also cost consumers a hefty sum when the next-gen system hits store shelves.
The ongoing RAM crisis may dictate the PS6's manufacturing cost
One of the main drivers behind a high manufacturing stock is the ongoing DRAM shortage crisis. Since the fall of 2025, the prices of RAM, SSD and other important components for PCs, consoles and other electronics have skyrocketed. However, as of this writing, the prices of some DDR5 RAM kits have started to drop again due to consumers not buying them at their current prices. For example, the price of the Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5 RAM kit has been reduced from its previous price of $427.99 down to $321.10 on Amazon. Although prices are still higher than they were before the crisis began, it remains to be seen whether DDR5 RAM prices will continue to decrease over time.
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Although Project Helix and PS6 are rumored to launch in 2027 at the earliest, the ongoing RAM crisis and uncertain market conditions may force Microsoft and Sony to rethink their plans. However, the potential pricing of Sony's and Microsoft's next-generation systems remains a fluid situation that customers should keep an eye on.
- Date founded
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7 May 1946
- Head office
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Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
