Microsoft’s latest Xbox price update sent a warning that reaches far beyond one console family. In its post, the company said console storage and memory prices have risen by more than 2.5x and that it expects another doubling by the fall of 2027.
That lands at a rough moment for hardware makers across the board. CNBC reported that Apple has raised the price of some MacBook and iPad products after citing higher memory and storage component costs, while Valve’s Steam Machine starts at $1,000 for the cheapest model and does not include a controller.
For Sony, the timing is awkward. The PS6 has been described as a more modest, cost-conscious machine, but a memory market this tight makes that goal much harder to hold without pushing the final price higher than Sony would want.
Even if Sony keeps the hardware lean and leans on cross-gen support in the early years, the next couple of holiday seasons could still decide how aggressive the PS6 can be at launch. If memory keeps climbing through 2027, the console may not get the pricing window Sony would prefer.
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