AI's Insatiable Appetite for Memory Chips Threatens to Delay PS6 Until 2029

The AI Memory Crisis Hits Gaming

The insatiable demand for memory chips from artificial intelligence infrastructure is sending shockwaves through the gaming industry. According to Bloomberg, Sony is now contemplating delaying the PlayStation 6 launch to 2028 or even 2029, while Nintendo is considering raising the price of the Switch 2 console later this year.

The root cause is a dramatic reallocation of global memory chip production. Data centres are expected to consume seventy percent of all memory chips manufactured in 2026, as tech giants including Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft pour hundreds of billions into AI infrastructure. The three major memory manufacturers, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, are prioritising high-margin AI chips over consumer electronics components.

Micron's business chief Sumit Sadana confirmed the severity of the situation, stating the company is completely sold out for 2026. DRAM prices have surged dramatically, with analysts forecasting increases of fifty percent or more quarter on quarter.

PlayStation 6 Faces Historic Delay

If the PS6 slips to 2029, it would represent nearly a decade since the PS5 launched in November 2020, marking the longest gap between PlayStation generations in the brand's history. Industry sources describe the potential postponement as a major disruption to Sony's carefully planned strategy for maintaining user engagement between hardware cycles. With the rumoured specifications calling for thirty gigabytes of GDDR7 memory and Zen 6 architecture, launching at current component prices could push the retail cost beyond nine hundred dollars.

Nintendo Feels the Squeeze

Nintendo launched the Switch 2 at four hundred and forty-nine dollars in June 2025, absorbing significant cost increases to maintain that price point. However, reports indicate the company is now paying forty-one percent more for RAM than originally projected. Analyst firm Niko Partners predicts Nintendo may discontinue the standalone option entirely, offering only a higher-priced bundle. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has acknowledged the volatile memory market requires close monitoring, though the company maintains there is no immediate impact on earnings.

A Broader Industry Problem

The shortage extends well beyond gaming. Apple and Tesla have warned about profit impacts, Chinese smartphone makers have slashed shipment forecasts by tens of millions of units, and PC manufacturers are signalling price increases of fifteen to twenty percent. Production expansion is not expected to meaningfully ease the shortage until 2028, suggesting the gaming industry faces years of disruption ahead.