A new prediction tied to the price of the PlayStation 6 suggests that fans need to begin saving up their money immediately. Earlier this week, Valve made headlines when it finally confirmed that its highly anticipated Steam Machine platform would be selling for over $1,000. Although the move wasn’t much of a shock given the rising costs of manufacturing, it still represents one of the first mainstream gaming platforms to surpass this $1K threshold. However, with the PS6 potentially looming in 2027, it sounds like PlayStation’s next console could end up costing just as much.
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Speaking to GI.biz, gaming industry analyst Joost van Dreunen said that he anticipates the absolute lowest price that the PS6 will sell for is $1,000. If true, this suggests that the actual price of the console could end up being even higher, with a ceiling not provided by van Dreunen. While this perhaps wouldn’t be a huge surprise given that the PS5 Pro is already selling at a value of $900, this would mean that the cost of the PS6 would be well over double the price of the PS5 upon its release back in 2020.
“At this rate, the next generation may not even release until 2028, and when it does, north of a grand is the floor,” predicted van Dreunen. “Even existing devices are getting marked up. The companies that manufacture the necessary components have fully shifted toward selling to hyperscalers, paying a premium to build out their data centers. The memory makers – Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron – are now ‘post-consumer’, which tells you gamers matter less and prices go up.”
Even though this is a frightening proposition for longtime PlayStation fans, fellow analyst Piers Harding-Roll said that he believes Sony could find a way to keep prices from getting too out of control. Specifically, Harding-Rolls noted that Sony has a larger manufacturing operation than Valve, which could allow it to gain more resources with long-time partners at a potentially lower rate. As a result, he thinks there is a path forward for the PS6 to remain under $1,000.
“Next-gen consoles will likely be more expensive, but they have different levers that can be pulled to offset hardware costs, which can support cheaper pricing,” Harding-Rolls said. “Sony has more scale than Valve and is better positioned in terms of supply chain accessibility through its entrenched relationships and broader electronics business. Console companies will be hoping that they can take advantage of improving component inventories and more stable pricing as it gets closer to the launch of next-gen consoles.”
Regardless of where the PS6 ultimately lands in terms of pricing, it’s already clear that the console is likely going to be the most expensive in PlayStation’s history. Whether or not these high costs of manufacturing will result in PlayStation pushing back the launch of the PS6 into 2028 or beyond is something that remains unknown. If PlayStation continues with its current strategy, though, reports widely suggest that the PS6 will release near the end of 2027.
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