As memory prices rise, the future of gaming hardware looks increasingly uncertain. The crisis could force Sony and Valve to rethink the pricing for the upcoming PS6 and Steam Machine. Another possibility is that the console and mini PC see their release dates delayed until costs stabilize. A new Reuters article quotes an analyst who made the troubling prediction.

A historic memory shortage looms

The report by Zaheer Kachwala details how demands from the burgeoning AI industry are affecting the market. With brands like Micron focusing on enterprise customers, there is less storage and memory available to consumers. Laptop makers and prebuilt PC sellers have also begun to announce price hikes.

Valve may have secured a reserve of LPDDR5 memory ahead of the expected Q1 2026 Steam Machine release date. Even so, some industry sources anticipate that DRAM and storage costs won’t ease for several years. The company may be forced to pass on the added burden to gamers or announce a delay.

The timing for the PS6 debut is less definite, but most insiders forecast a 2027 or 2028 arrival. Higher GDDR7 VRAM costs threaten the MSRPs of Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs and the next PlayStation system.

Console sales are in decline

Another problem facing Valve and Sony is that console sales are slowing. Circana U.S. data for November 2025 showed that hardware sales fell 27% year over year. Amid tariffs and other economic challenges, the Xbox Series X and PS5 have already seen price hikes.

Warning signs with retail performance and higher memory prices are both considerations for manufacturers. The Reuters article quotes emarketer analyst Jacob Bourne, who shares that view. According to Bourne, in response to lackluster sales, “we might see console makers delay releases.”

Valve could still choose to forge ahead with the release of its gaming system. One solution proposed by insider Moore’s Law Is Dead is to offer a barebones configuration without memory and storage. That would keep the Steam Machine price reasonable, but force gamers to complete builds. However, it seems very unlikely that Sony would take the same approach with the PS6.

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Adam Corsetti – Tech Writer – 878 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025

I became interested in technology at a young age and enjoyed discovering the latest innovations. While earning college degrees in publishing, I created several PC hardware and gaming websites. My passion has always been to guide readers on what products can truly improve their lives. After many years as a Tech Writer for Game Rant, I’m anxious to share my knowledge with a new audience at Notebookcheck.