The Robots Are Winning: AI Greed Might Delay Your PS6

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Written By NLM Team

Just when we finally stopped worrying about GPU shortages (mostly cause of becoming desensitized), the AI boom is apparently eating up so much memory that it might push the next generation of consoles back by years.

If you were saving your pennies for a shiny new console in 2027, you might want to hold onto that piggy bank a little longer. According to a new report from Tom Henderson at Insider Gaming, the explosive growth of Artificial Intelligence is causing a massive headache for hardware manufacturers. The issue is simple but painful: AI needs RAM, lots of it, and that demand is driving prices into the stratosphere.

The Price of Intelligence

We are not talking about a small fluctuation here. Insider Gaming reports that RAM modules have jumped in price by "several hundred percent" in just the last few months. Because the tech industry's obsession with AI isn't going away anytime soon, this shortage is creating a massive bottleneck for everyone else.

This leaves companies like Sony and Microsoft in a terrible spot. They are currently having "ongoing talks at the high levels" about what this means for mass-producing the next generation of hardware at a price that won't make consumers riot.

Delay or Pay Up

The report suggests there are two grim possibilities on the table. The first is that the next generation of consoles, originally intended for a 2027-2028 release window, gets delayed. The hope is that RAM manufacturers will eventually build out enough infrastructure to meet demand, allowing prices to drop back to sanity.

The second option is even uglier. If they stick to the release schedule without a price drop, the next-gen machines could be "extortionate". We are already expecting the PS6 to be pricey, but this would be on another level.

Perhaps the most depressing part of the report is that we might feel this before the next generation even arrives. Insider Gaming notes that these shortages could lead to "yet more price increases for current generation consoles" hitting us as soon as 2026. So much for the mid-cycle price drop tradition. Thanks, ChatGPT.

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