The memory chip crisis continues to affect the gaming market. With the Nintendo Switch 2 likely to be more expensive as a result, the release of the PlayStation 6 may also be delayed.
Based on the console cycle to date, the PlayStation 6 should be released next year. However, the Japanese company has not yet announced an official release date. Instead, there is initial speculation that the release could be delayed.
According to Bloomberg, Sony is considering a release date of 2028 or even 2029.
The reason for this is said to be rising prices and supply bottlenecks for memory chips. For the same reason, Nintendo is also considering a possible price increase for the Switch 2. The main cause of the shortage is the massive expansion of AI data centers.
Technology companies are claiming an ever-increasing share of global memory chip production by purchasing millions of AI accelerators from Nvidia with enormous storage capacities to run language models and other applications. As a result, consumer electronics manufacturers are increasingly competing for shrinking supply volumes from producers such as Samsung and Micron.
“Pushing the boundaries of real-time game graphics”
The release of the PlayStation 5 was already fraught with considerable challenges. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage of specific semiconductor chips caused particular problems. Available consoles sold out in many places within a very short time.
Sony is keeping the exact details of the next generation under wraps for now. However, PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino confirmed in the middle of last year that the console is in development. He did not provide any technical details.
Jack Huynh, Senior Vice President at AMD, was much more specific on X. He referred to the “Amethyst” project, which envisages an architecture for games that is specially optimized for machine learning. The aim is to develop neural networks “that push the boundaries of real-time game graphics.”
Customers will also likely have to prepare for higher costs than with the PS5. US analysts are basing their estimates on the price of the PS5 Pro, which is around $800 – not to mention the current memory chip crisis.