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[ByWatterson]

Steam Machine is never coming out, is it, lol

 

[Bojji]

Steam Machine future owners:

SM is not a console and it doesn't compete with consoles. It's just another custom PC variant.

 

[Tg89]

Ima stick with PS6 2030. These price hikes were obvious, props to Sony for holding off letting Xbox get slaughtered for price increases. Very smart move

Rumor Community Hardware  Post in thread 'KeplerL2: PlayStation handheld reportedly with 24GB memory, PS6 console with 30GB'

Feb 9, 2026

? when did they damp expectations

Maybe not officially I give you that. But plenty of murmurs....

MS in 2027 due to the fact they are going expensive. For PS6 to be where Sony need it price wise it will have to be later. I will say 2030. Boomark and laugh if you want lol.

• djjinx2

That doesn't mean much though. Sony obviously expects the PS5 life to continue well past the PS6 release...no different than the PS4.

There probably won't be a single game that comes out on PS6 that isn't also playable on PS5. If anything they'll release the PS6 as their premium, $1000 device, and have PS5/Pro for those that want something more reasonable.

 

[Nydius]

Right now the 2 TB Series X, a dead product, has a $800 price tag.....

So much great competition....

LOL

I never said it was "great" competition, just that their competitor is doing the exact same thing and citing the exact same reasons ("global economic landscape", "tariffs", et cetera).

 

[MisterXDTV]

I never said it was "great" competition, just that their competitor is doing the exact same thing and citing the exact same reasons ("global economic landscape", "tariffs", et cetera).

I was agreeing with you, that's why I quoted...

 

[TGO]

I think we need a Remake...

 

[nial]

Even at $700 if it hits it. You think a $700 DE is going to move gangbusters after the early adopters, with $80 a year psplus if staying the same which and $80 games?

Hard to say. The PlayStation market in general is more accustomed to a higher starting point compared to what Nintendo's target audience expects from them out of their relatively underpowered, casual-oriented handheld/hybrid devices (and it's not like the Switch 2 isn't doing well, and it would still do well at $550-600). And with everything being more expensive all across the board, consumers are more likely to adapt at some point when it comes to new, desired products.
It could also very well a somewhat rough transition, but hopefully RAM prices stabilize by 2030 and it leads to Sony actually decreasing the price in the future.

 

[slrbomber]

The thing is though, the prices were already hiked due to 'temporary' global issues like covid and then the start of the Russia Ukraine war. But the prices never come back down when these issues are no longer having an impact on anything.

It's laughable, as another poster has said - there's been wars including Middle Eastern countries for the last 4 decades and no console price prior to this gen has been impacted.

The truth is previously Sony and Microsoft knew there was a ceiling to console prices and they took full advantage of the madness from covid onwards to bake in these ridiculous hikes and set a new norm price wise.

Funny thing is that the PS3 launching at £599 ($1200 equivalent at the time) was much more worth it than the PS5. Sony are selling their worst product for their most obscene pricing. Go figure.

Think of it as an accumulation of headwinds, Sony hasnt recently made terrible price hikes like we are seeing today. Trump's tarrifs just last year led to an increase in consumer electronics prices especially around Japanese electronics brands. I had to buy cameras and across the board there was around $200 extra on most Japanese cameras for example. Then you had Sam Altman inflating DRAM prices by locking in memory he cant buy so GDDR6 went from $2 to $8 per GB, then you have semi-conductor supply limited by TSMC capacity since all major companies gave their logic fabs contracts to TSMC. ASML has done a decent job in increasing EUV and DUV machine output but TSMC alone cannot satisfy semi-conductor demand to help bring down the costs like back in the days.

Then you have the current oil+gas shocks from the current war which impact even production of semi-conductors which depend on byproducts of LNG. So Sony is looking at all this and forced to make unfavourable decisions. I dont think these prices are a good thing nor are they a normal thing and Sony may be forced to eventually reduce them(I think). But with how all this is going its not good for the entire gaming/console industry. But possibly in 2028 or 2029 when TSMCs N3 is more widely adopted+Intel 18A as an alternative to N3, DRAM output comes online from the memory makers and much of the issues with the war have subsided, then we can see some normalcy. But I dont see these prices as sustainable at all. $499 for a digital console, max $599 for a digital console. I dont see consumer spending above that for a 1TB digital edition console even if it was a PS6

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Many people out there actually wanted Microsoft to swallow the entire industry and wipe PlayStation off the map.

And they are just as big of idiots

 

[ThroatPie]

they listened to our complaints about dynamic pricing.

 

[Thebonehead]

Oh not asking people to believe me and at this point if Kepler says they are on track I believe what he says

I just do not believe we are getting a PS6 next year, we will see

 

[kruis]

Remember the good old days when consoles got CHEAPER every year?

Not only that, Sony made sure the biggest hits could be had for a lower price after a year or so, Those two things combined were the reason why console gaming went mainstream. Now gaming is becoming an ever more expensive hobby.

 

[CrustyBritches]

Lockstep accelerationism. This is the beginning of the end of user-side compute. You will own nothing.

For once my fomo and living in Oregon paid off(no sales tax). Got my Pro new for $674 and a 2TB NVMe for it for $88. Just ordered a $450 PS5 1TB Fortnite bundle from Sony as a backup. Says preparing to ship. Should add that I have kids and nephews who come over, so it will be nice to keep them off my precious Pro and purple controller and let them use the regular PS5.

PS6 is supposed to have 30GB of RAM, 2TB SSD(?) and be twice as powerful as PS5 Pro? That shit will be $1200, easy.

 

[neocycle]

Many asked for that, they wanted Xbox dead and they got it

 

[TGO]

He too busy watching the Harry Potter trailer.

 

[Crimsonhead]

From a simple customer outside of business corp. this is a really bad move by Sony, instead of put the hardware cheaper (ps5 pro) to push the upgrade from the base ps5 (me included), makes it impossible now with this new price....

 

[GOKUSSJ2]

400 dollars is the minimum now for playing GTA6 (probably at 720p/30fps and low settings)

 

[neocycle]

Lockstep accelerationism. This is the beginning of the end of user-side compute. You will own nothing.

For once my fomo and living in Oregon paid off(no sales tax). Got my Pro new for $674 and a 2TB NVMe for it for $88. Just ordered a $450 PS5 1TB Fortnite bundle from Sony as a backup. Says preparing to ship.

PS6 is supposed to have 30GB of RAM, 2TB SSD(?) and be twice as powerful as PS5 Pro? That shit will be $1200, easy.

No friggin way. I'm done with consoles if it's even 900.

 

[NuclearDiarrhea]

Glad i bought a PS5 Pro a few months back for Saros and GTA6.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Because there is no competition.

Even if there's 'no competition' within their section of the market, everyone is still competing for money end of the day. The PS5 isn't going up because Xbox is no longer applying any real pressure. Streaming services are going up, rent/mortgage, groceries, GAS is increasing as well. All of this is a sign of a broken economy. The way we've lived all this time where people could 'reasonably' afford these things is done.

Someone who hasn't jumped on a PS5 nearly 6 years in, for whatever reason, sure as hell isn't going to at these hyper-inflated prices. This is historically the point in the generation when the budget gamer jumps on-board. We're in 2007 territory when the PS2 was dropped to $99( or whatever year that happened), or 2018 when you could grab a PS4 bundled with Spider-man on Black Friday for $199. Except now in 2026, instead of what these consoles 'should' cost at this point in a normal economy( the PS5 AT MOST should be $300 now, and I'm talking the disc version), the consoles are becoming major financial decisions. $650 is budget breaking nowadays. $900 for the Pro? Why even bother at that point?

 

[J Required]

Is it possible the lower priced Steam Machine will be $800 and the good one be $1,000?

Its weaker machine than PS5, so still a terrible value for a device releasing in 2026.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

The AI craze is truly wrecking the world we live in.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Sheesh

900 for a Pro is absurd.

$954.00 with tax. You gonna want a game with that though, right?

Fuck I'm glad I copped a Pro a couple years ago

 

[Clear]

It might be *announced* next year, but no way is it coming out!

Also, not sure why these price hikes are being treated as a surprise. Its been obvious for some time now that steep increases were inevitable due to market conditions.

Prices fall over time when the BoM comes down, usually due to commodification. So when the BoM is forced up by scarcity and supply cost... its inevitably going to be reflected in RRP's.

 

[mckmas8808]

400 dollars is the minimum now for playing GTA6 (probably at 720p/30fps and low settings)

Did you see what Crimson Desert looks like on the Xbox Series S? Now imagine GTA 6 LOL!

 

[MisterXDTV]

Did you see what Crimson Desert looks like on the Xbox Series S? Now imagine GTA 6 LOL!

The retrogaming version

 

[LavitzSlambert]

But even they can't control it or stop it. I feel like if they could, you'd see attempts to stop it. This timeline of ours is going out of wack and it's clearly falling off the tracks. For anybody that's watch the APPLE TV show Dark Matter, we'd go back into the Box because this world isn't one you'd want to live in.

To avoid this, it would take collective action directly in opposition to established game theory.

Also...



We're in universe B

 

[mckmas8808]

It might be *announced* next year, but no way is it coming out!

Also, not sure why these price hikes are being treated as a surprise. Its been obvious for some time now that steep increases were inevitable due to market conditions.

Prices fall over time when the BoM comes down, usually due to commodification. So when the BoM is forced up by scarcity and supply cost... its inevitably going to be reflected in RRP's.

People don't want to believe the truth though. They want to live in a world where stupid tariffs, dumb wars, and retarded AI CEOs aren't ruining everything.

 

[Alebrije]

 

[Chuck Berry]

From a simple customer outside of business corp. this is a really bad move by Sony, instead of put the hardware cheaper (ps5 pro) to push the upgrade from the base ps5 (me included), makes it impossible now with this new price....

It's not impossible. Just get a second job or start mowing some lawns.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

He too busy watching the Harry Potter trailer.

 

[onQ123]

I pray that none of my electronics break in the middle of all this

 

[DragoonKain]

I have a hardcore procrastinator friend who is still multiple console generations behind and is notoriously cheap and has to weigh making a big purchase for like 3 years before he finally buys something new(and sometimes never does). For example until last year he was on a cell phone from 2013 that he was too cheap/lazy to upgrade until his family was like enough my god, we're getting you the newest iPhone for Christmas.

Anyway, he's been telling me he wants a PS5 for years. holiday 2024 I told him to get one, now's your best chance. He decided to pass. He's definitely never getting one now

Ya snooze ya lose!

 

[Clear]

People don't want to believe the truth though. They want to live in a world where stupid tariffs, dumb wars, and retarded AI CEOs aren't ruining everything.

I'd pin this entirely on component costs because everything else can be worked around to a degree, however the options for memory chips in high quantity... Yeah, good luck with that!

 

[GOKUSSJ2]

 

[dem]

Half the kids on my sons hockey team have 300 dollar hockey sticks..

People need to start recognizing the value of money is not what it was.

Everything is 50% more than it was a few years ago. Cars.. houses.. food.

Electronics are one of the things that was actually coming down in price over the last few decades. Especially when adjusted for inflation. TV's, Computers, Video games.

A PS1 in 1995 was 299USD. Inflation adjusted that is $640

A Sega Saturn was $399... or $850 now.

A Sega CD was equivalent to $690usd today. For a console add on.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Steam Machine is never coming out, is it, lol

No chances in 2026 if Sony is impacted like this.

 

[mckmas8808]

I pray that none of my electronics break in the middle of all this

I got in early and I have a 3 year warranty via Best Buy, so I'm good. But yeah.....................

 

[The Pleasure]

Bought my 4tb nvme for the ps5 for 220. Those things are fucking insane now.

 

[GeNoMe]

It's a great console imo. You should also get the disc drive so you have options. And yeah buying it at this price vs 900 is a no brainer.

Managed to get one via PS direct. Even had a little discount. I'll be getting rid of my base PS5 to compensate a little.

 

[Sid]

First time seeing a corporation scalp their own consoles

 

[CrustyBritches]

No friggin way. I'm done with consoles if it's even 900.

But how will it be $900 if it has almost twice the amount of even faster RAM and twice the processing power? Bear in mind, these prices reflect the AI datacenter induced shortages and price increases. The Iran war and the increase of the price of oil will affect everything going forward. Things will get even more expensive.

 

[Astray]

The core mathematical principals are under an open research model, and are free and available for anyone to read and adapt into code.
It's the Google implementation of these mathematical principals that will be limited, probably to a commercial license.
This means that other companies can and will look at these mathematical papers and do their own implementation into software and hardware.

Will take ages to even be a common thing amongst AI companies, and even longer than that to trickle down into common everyday computing.

We don't even know if this tech will do well in gaming applications btw.

The real drivers of this price increase is RAM and the Iran war.

 

[poppabk]

There IS a point where you'll simply price out the average consumer. You don't sell 100m consoles on the backs of a handful of whales. Discretionary income is drying up for many/most and tough times are ahead. And the way this world is going, there's always some existential crisis on the horizon fucking shit up, especially since 2020. Rest assured, by the time the A.I RAM thing has sorted itself out in a few years, so other bullshit will be going on.

But if they can sell 60 million consoles at a profit to the people who also spend big on subscriptions and software they may end up better off financially.

 

[Sleepwalker]

That same decision on my part remains undefeated.

Yup sold my PS5 on marketplace for more than trade in and purchased my pro during a "no tax" event.

 

[Jigsaah]

 

[Physiognomonics]

Excluding portal don't most people here already have at least one of those?

 

[dragonyeuw]

But if they can sell 60 million consoles at a profit to the people who also spend big on subscriptions and software they may end up better off financially.

Major emphasis on IF.... there's some indicators that Gen Z are spending less on gaming and they're the ones poised to take the baton. An old 48 year old semi-retired piece of shit like me who can afford these prices is shoving my nose up at what's happening. We'll see.....

 

[Esquie]

Sony should cancel any launch plans for ps6 for next year, if they haven't already

There weren't planning on releasing next year anyway. No chance. I didn't trust that Kepler2 rumor from the start. He doubled down on it too. And the Gerstmann quote was pure speculation, or him just parroting the other report.

Anyway, this is crazy. NINE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS . Helix is a lock for $1200 next year.

Even if things improve somewhat by Fall 2028, the PS6 is probably still gonna be around $800. Remember that once this price range has been conditioned into the consumer's minds, they're not gonna suddenly abandon that and have a lower price for PS6. It's what happens with inflation. Covid and the Ukraine war caused inflation to skyrocket but it's come down since then… guess what? Prices are still considerably higher than before those times. Companies have no incentive to lower them when consumers have been conditioned to accept them as normal now.

 

[dragonyeuw]

We took the right turn at Albuquerque, folks.