Whenever the conversation turns to the (unannounced) PS6, it’s not potential specs or launch games that people seem to want to discuss; it’s the price. The so-called “RAMageddon” has seen the cost of basically all tech items skyrocket, and gaming consoles are very much impacted.
The current-generation PS5 console hasn’t decreased in price over its lifespan, but instead, buying into the PlayStation platform has gotten more expensive. The base PS5 now costs $650 ($499 at launch), while the PS5 Pro is an eye-watering $899 ($699 at launch). This console generation is the first I can recall where launch-day buyers got a better deal than late adopters.
Valve’s Steam Machine finally hit shelves last month, with a $1,049 MSRP for its base model (which doesn’t even include a controller). In response, fears surrounding how much the PS6 will cost when it launches (rumored as early as next year) are only increasing as RAM costs spiral even higher.
But my question is, how much is too much? What is the tipping point for gamers? When does sticker shock go beyond reluctantly forking over your money to just outright refusal to buy into the next generation of gaming? That’s why I decided to ask some of my colleagues how much they would be willing to pay for a hypothetical PS6, and the answers varied a lot.
I also want to hear from you: what’s your PS6 price limit? Vote in our poll down below, and be sure to leave a comment, letting me know how much you’d pay for a new PlayStation console.
The price of the PS6 is only half the battle
Being a gamer isn’t just about the console. It is about the entire ecosystem, from your setup to the actual library of games. That’s why, when the PlayStation 6 eventually drops, $1,000 is my absolute hard line.
If Sony pushes the price tag any higher, it completely breaks my budget for everything else that might make gaming worth it, since there can be other costs to it. As Grand Theft Auto 6 proved, big-name titles are at the $80 mark now. You'll also need extra controllers, a solid headset, and potentially expanded SSD storage.
When you tally up the extras, the console itself is only half of the price. If Sony wants to keep me as a PlayStation fan, they can't price me out! — Arif Bacchus, Lab Tester
I'm not sure if any price would be worth it
The current console generation has been something of a disappointment for me. Supply issues hampered the launch, and PS4 support persisted longer than necessary. It feels like the PS5 never really got going. Furthermore, the current cost of gaming means the console hasn't had much attention from me.
Games are a lot more expensive than they used to be. Paying full price feels like I'm being ripped off, and good game sales are rather hard to come by — especially if you're looking for physical discs. So the prospect of paying several hundred dollars to replace my PS5 is not appealing. If Sony wants my money for the PS6, they're going to have to do a lot of things to grab my attention.
The least of which is offering an affordable console, noticeably cheaper than a competent gaming PC. For me, that means I won't bother to entertain prices above the PS5 Pro's $699 launch price.
The odds of this happening are about as likely as Wales winning the World Cup, so I've made peace with the fact that I will probably never own a PS6. Maybe the PS7 will change my mind when it arrives sometime around 2040. — Tom Pritchard, UK Phones Editor
Shut up and take my money, PlayStation
I’ll be honest: I was on the fence about getting the PS5. I got as much use as I could out of my PS4 before biting the bullet and getting the PS5 Slim… and I really wanted to play Baldur’s Gate 3, which wasn’t on Sony’s fourth-gen console. I suspect it’ll be a similar story by the time the PS6 comes around.
My PS5 right now is my favorite console, and it’s what I’ve sunk thousands of hours into games on. Sony would have to price the PS6 exorbitantly to stop me from buying it. I’d happily spend up to $1,000 on it. I can’t say for certain whether I’d buy it at launch, but it will most certainly happen.
The only thing I can see potentially stopping me from getting the PS6 is the rising cost of games — especially as we won’t be able to buy second-hand discs of the latest titles. But given how happy playing on my PS5 (and PS4 before it) makes me, right now, I can’t see myself not buying the PS6. — Nikita Achanta, Senior Reviews Writer
I may have already reached my limit
I don’t consider myself a Sony fanboy, but PlayStation has been my console of choice since the original. Despite recent choices to lean into live service, PlayStation is where the types of games I want to play live.
That said, I choked paying $500 for the Nintendo Switch 2 — hoarded gift cards allayed that frustration some — and haven’t bothered upgrading to the PS5 Pro. Inflation aside, my sweet spot for a gaming console is around $400 to $600. With things steadily getting more expensive, I’ve had a hard time accepting that those prices may no longer be realistic. I had high hopes for the Steam Machine, but its $1,050 price tag put me off, and I’m not excited about whatever the PS6 might bring to the table.
Right now, I don’t know that I’d go more than $700, but I would hate every second of it until I got the console in my house.
PlayStation 6 might be the first generation I actively skip, but who am I kidding? I’ll probably wait until I’ve hoarded enough gift cards again. It won’t be day one, though; I promise you that. — Scott Younker, West Coast Reporter
Sony would have to charge a fortune to stop me buying a PS6
Truthfully, I’m more than prepared to pay a four-digit figure for the PS6. The thought of a $1,000+ PlayStation console certainly isn’t pleasant, but Sony would have to charge well north of $1,250 before I reached my limit and felt forced to stick with my current PS5 Pro for a while longer.
I swear I’m not a corporate bootlicker; it’s a simple matter of determining value per dollar spent. PlayStation has been my primary gaming platform since the PS1, and each year, I get thousands of hours of use from my console. When you break it down into money spent to entertainment hours delivered, each PlayStation machine has been a complete bargain.
For me, it’s not the price that will put me off the PS6, but rather Sony’s decision to axe physical games (I’m mostly digital already, but still want the option of using a disc), and my concerns that it’ll launch with a relatively small hard drive in an effort to reduce costs. — Rory Mellon, Senior Entertainment Editor
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
