PS6 Delayed to 2029: ChatGPT and the AI Craze Gobble Up Console RAM
ChatGPT versus the PS6: a showdown nobody saw coming. Generative AI’s ravenous hunger for memory chips could push the next PlayStation all the way to 2029—and send Switch 2 prices soaring in the process.
For months now, RAM prices have been skyrocketing thanks to the insatiable demand from AI-focused data centers. Bloomberg now reports that this crisis is hitting the gaming industry head-on: Sony is considering delaying the PS6 to 2028 or even 2029, even as PS5 sales smash records. Meanwhile, Nintendo isn’t ruling out a Switch 2 price hike as soon as 2026, with memory costs spiraling out of control.
Image credit: Sony
AI devours memory chips, leaving Sony in a bind
The mechanism is as simple as it is brutal. Data centers powering generative AI models—ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and the rest—are swallowing up astronomical amounts of memory chips. RAM prices have exploded, triggering a domino effect across the entire tech industry. GPU makers have already hiked prices or even dropped certain products. Gaming isn’t escaping the tidal wave.
According to sources close to Sony’s leadership, the Japanese giant is weighing a PS6 launch delay to 2028, maybe even 2029. The reason is crystal clear: the next PlayStation’s ambitious specs demand massive amounts of high-end memory—the very components AI giants are snapping up at gold-rush prices. Sony’s caught in a squeeze between its technical ambitions and a harsh economic reality.
As for the PS5, there’s no immediate panic. Sony says current console stocks won’t be hit by memory shortages, at least through the 2026 holiday season. The real trouble is with the next generation, where the hunger for components will be on a whole new level.
A record-breaking 9-year PS5 generation (if it happens)
If the PS6 doesn’t land until 2029, the PS5 generation would stretch to nine years—a PlayStation record. For context, the PS4 lasted seven years before passing the torch, and the PS3 about the same. The only real precedent was the Xbox 360 and PS3 era, when the 2008 financial crisis artificially extended their lifespans. History repeats itself—but this time, AI is the party crasher.
The rumored specs for the PS6 only make things trickier. Leaks point to up to 30GB of GDDR7 memory for the home console, and 24GB of LPDDR5X for the portable PlayStation project. There’s also talk of a hybrid GPU architecture—not fully based on AMD’s RDNA 5, echoing the PS5’s mix of RDNA 1 and ray tracing. These ambitious specs explain why the memory crunch is such a headache for Sony.
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Meanwhile, Sony keeps beefing up the PS5 ecosystem with fresh PS Plus catalog drops and a new rewards system for earning PS Store credits. It’s a way to keep players hooked if this generation drags on way longer than anyone expected.
Nintendo hit too: Switch 2 price could climb even higher
Sony’s not the only one feeling the heat. Nintendo, after launching the Switch 2 at $450, is already considering a price bump as soon as 2026. The Kyoto company has officially said it will “carefully evaluate” the console’s price in light of rising memory costs. It’s a cautious statement, but it leaves little doubt about where things are headed.
The timing couldn’t be trickier. The Switch 2 price already sparked a wave of criticism at launch, with many gamers feeling that €419 was a tough psychological barrier for a hybrid console. Any further hike could stoke even more frustration, even if sales momentum is still strong for now. Here’s what the memory crisis could mean for gamers:
- PS6 delayed to 2028 or 2029, stretching the current generation to unprecedented length
- Switch 2 price hike coming in 2026
- Potentially downgraded specs or hardware compromises for future consoles
- Uncertainty for Microsoft too, as AMD preps a 2027 Xbox launch with no firm date yet
Neither Sony nor Nintendo has officially confirmed these changes, and things could still shift if the memory market stabilizes. But one thing’s for sure: for the first time, it’s an industry outside of gaming that’s calling the shots for the next wave of consoles. Gamers may have to choose between waiting longer or paying more.
