The article reports that the surge in demand for ram from the artificial intelligence industry has created a ram shortage that is now spilling over from the pc gaming market into the console space. Earlier coverage highlighted how this shortage has already driven price hikes and potential launch delays for next generation pc hardware products, and a new report suggests console gamers could face similar consequences. According to insider gaming, major console hardware makers, likely microsoft and sony, are in discussions about delaying the next generation of console hardware.
The report notes that the next xbox and playstation consoles were originally slated to launch sometime in 2027 or 2028, and a new launch window has not yet been revealed, but hardware makers are considering a delay so that ram prices and availability can stabilize before release. The strategy reflects concerns that launching during a period of constrained supply could either limit production volumes or force companies to lock in higher component costs. By pushing the schedule, console vendors hope to benefit from a more favorable memory market when their new systems arrive.
The article explains that memory manufacturers are scrambling to respond to current conditions, with brands like samsung planning to pivot some of their nand production to dram to help meet escalating demand. Other suppliers are rushing to expand their supply chains, but those efforts require time to translate into meaningful capacity increases. In the meantime, the ram shortage has already squeezed console makers, with increasing nand and dram prices resulting in slimmer margins, while some brands have had to start considering increasing the retail prices of their hardware. Together, these pressures are driving serious discussion about postponing the next wave of consoles until the memory market cools.
