'We Have Not Yet Decided': Sony Leaves PS6 Release Date and Price Open Amid Memory Shortage Concerns

Sony has not settled on a PS6 release date or price, according to chief executive Hiroki Totoki. He said in a recent Wall Street Journal profile that the company is still watching a global memory shortage.

'We have not yet decided on at what timing we will launch the new console, or at what prices,' Totoki said. 'So we would like to really observe and follow the situation.'

For context, the PS5 launched in November 2020, and PlayStation hardware has usually arrived six or seven years apart. The PS4 came out in 2013. A similar gap would point towards 2027, though Sony has never announced a launch window for its next machine.

Totoki also warned that memory shortages are expected to continue into Sony's 2027 fiscal year, which runs from April 2027 to March 2028. He said the company is weighing options beyond a straightforward launch.

'We would like to think about various simulations, including changing business models to come up with the best solution and strategy,' he said. He did not say what those models might look like.

What the PS6 Release Date Means Now

Strictly speaking, nothing has slipped. A date that was never announced cannot be delayed, and Sony has made no public commitment to 2027.

Still, the timing of the remarks matters. A shortage lasting into the 2027 fiscal year leaves little room for a comfortable launch next year. Sony could still aim for that window, but waiting until 2028 or later would give it more breathing space.

Outside forecasts point the same way, though they are unconfirmed. A Bloomberg report said Sony was considering pushing the console to 2028 or 2029. Sony has not confirmed that, and IBTimes UK cannot independently verify the claim.

Mark Cerny, Sony's lead console architect, said late last year that the next generation would arrive 'in a few years' time'. That was before memory prices surged, so it tells us little about where plans stand today.

Why Memory Prices Are Squeezing the PS6

The squeeze comes from artificial intelligence. Data centres are soaking up huge volumes of DRAM and high-bandwidth memory, which leaves less for consumer devices.

The numbers are striking. German retail tracker 3DCenter put its DDR5 price index at 486 per cent of its July 2025 baseline in August 2026, up from 445 per cent in July. One tracked 2x32GB DDR5-6400 CL32 kit rose from €854 to €1,093, a rise of approximately 28 per cent.

Further up the supply chain, TrendForce said in July that DRAM contract prices had hit records. It forecast another 13 to 18 per cent rise in the third quarter of 2026. SK Hynix chief executive Kwak Noh-Jung has said the shortage could last until 2030.

New fabrication plants take years to build, so relief is not close. Xbox has already acknowledged that memory costs will affect the price and availability of its next-generation Project Helix console.

Rivals' Next-Gen Plans Face the Same Limits

Microsoft may be in the same position. Fortune reported that the company plans a new Xbox handheld for the 2027 holiday season, followed by Project Helix in late 2028.

Fortune also reported that Microsoft's internal projections put the console at between $1,200 (€1,030 and £900) and $1,800 (€1,550 and £1,350). The final price could be lower if Microsoft absorbs some manufacturing costs. Microsoft has not confirmed any of these dates or prices.

Nothing is confirmed yet, so everything should be taken with a grain of salt. If the figures are anywhere near right, though, they would sit far above what players paid for the current generation.

Sony still has a busy PS5 slate to lean on, including GTA 6, and there is no sign it plans to wind down support for the current console. Whether it can hold a 2027 line with memory costs where they are is another matter. Totoki, for now, is not saying.