The saga of memory shortages and rising prices continues to develop heading into the last few days of 2025. By now, it’s no secret that increasing prices will leave a lasting impact on the gaming industry, including both consoles and PCs.
However, reports suggest that the current scenario could thwart PlayStation and Xbox’s plans for the next generation.
This report comes directly from Tom Henderson, who discussed the possibility of a potential delay to next-generation consoles beyond 2027 or 2028. Previously, Xbox was expected to launch its new hardware a year earlier than PlayStation in an attempt to secure an early lead.
However, the insider confirms that the gaming giants are internally debating whether the PS6 and next-generation Xbox should be pushed back further.
This delay would also mean extended support for the PS5 and Xbox Series S|X, much like the PS4 and Xbox One were supported well into the current generation.
RAM prices are currently expected to remain troublesome in 2026. The situation could begin to improve by 2027, but there is a chance that these shortages will persist two years from now as demand for AI data centers ramps up and more companies show interest in artificial intelligence.
Fortunately, there is a silver lining to the situation. Many fans already believed a 2027 or 2028 release for the next Xbox and PlayStation would be too soon. A potential delay to the new hardware could, therefore, allow developers to extract the full potential of the current generation.
