A recent report suggests that Sony may delay the launch of its next console, the PlayStation 6, until 2028 or even 2029. This potential delay is attributed to a significant surge in memory prices and an anticipated bottleneck in memory production across the tech industry.
Bloomberg, in an article detailing the current rise in memory costs, highlights that an impending shortage in memory production is expected to have widespread effects throughout the technology sector. The report, which refers to this situation as ‘RAMmageddon’, cites various tech analysts who point to artificial intelligence (AI) data centers as the primary driver behind the increased demand and scarcity of RAM.
Several major companies, including Apple and Tesla, have reportedly warned that memory shortages will restrict future production. In response, Sony and Nintendo are reportedly adjusting their strategies. Sources close to Sony’s planning indicate that the company is contemplating delaying the launch of its next PlayStation console until 2028 or 2029. Additionally, Nintendo is reportedly considering a price increase for the Switch 2 later this year. Both Sony and Nintendo declined to comment on Bloomberg’s report.
The report emphasizes that the RAM shortage is unlikely to be a short-term issue. Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing stated that “this structural imbalance between supply and demand is not simply a short-term fluctuation.” Tim Archer, CEO of Lam Research Corp, a chip equipment supplier, reportedly commented at a recent conference in South Korea that “What is ahead of us between now and the end of this decade, in terms of demand, is bigger than anything we’ve seen in the past, and, in fact, will overwhelm all other sources of demand.”
Historically, console prices typically decreased throughout a generation. However, this trend has shifted, with Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all raising the prices of their consoles. Sony, for instance, increased the price of the PlayStation 5 in various regions in August 2022, followed by another increase in April 2025, and then in the US in August 2025.
Nintendo previously delayed Switch 2 pre-orders in the US due to economic instability. While the console’s launch price remained unchanged, certain accessories saw price increases. Nintendo stated that “Nintendo Switch 2 accessories will experience price adjustments from those announced on April 2 [2025] due to changes in market conditions. Other adjustments to the price of any Nintendo product are also possible in the future depending on market conditions.”
This prediction materialized in August, when Nintendo raised the price of the original Switch console in the US. The standard Switch increased to $339 (from $299), the Switch OLED to $399 (from $349), and the Switch Lite to $229 (from $199), citing “market conditions” as the reason.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa recently stated that there are currently no plans to raise the price of the Switch 2 despite rising memory costs. However, he indicated that this stance could change if the situation persists.
Furukawa mentioned that Nintendo is engaging with suppliers to secure a consistent long-term supply of components. He also noted that the recent increase in memory prices did not substantially affect hardware profitability in the third quarter of its financial year (October to December 2025) and is not expected to have a major impact in the fourth quarter.
Nevertheless, Furukawa cautioned that if price surges continue into the next financial year and beyond, profitability could eventually be affected. In such a scenario, the company would evaluate market conditions and implement necessary actions.
