Updated
Updated · Push Square · Jun 25
Microsoft Warns Console Memory Prices Will Double by Fall 2027 After 2.5x Surge
Updated
Updated · Push Square · Jun 25

Microsoft Warns Console Memory Prices Will Double by Fall 2027 After 2.5x Surge

3 articles · Updated · Push Square · Jun 25

Summary

  • More than 2.5x higher storage and memory costs have already pushed Microsoft to raise Xbox Series X|S prices, and the company said those component prices are set to double again by fall 2027.
  • That outlook points to further pressure on console makers' hardware economics, with Sony's rumored late-2027 PS6 plans facing a tougher path if memory remains the key cost driver.
  • Apple has also raised some MacBook and iPad prices on higher memory and storage costs, while Valve this week priced its new Steam Machine from $1,000 without a controller.
  • For Sony, the squeeze could reinforce a strategy of leaning on PS5 software and PS Plus revenue, cutting lower-margin hardware shipments and potentially delaying or repricing next-generation launches.

Insights

With AI devouring the world's memory supply, is the era of affordable gaming consoles coming to an end?
Is the 'RAMpocalypse' creating a future where we must subscribe to our devices instead of owning them outright?