RAMeggedon comes for gaming as Nintendo and PlayStation mull price hikes and delays

The Nintendo Switch 2 propped up on a kitchen table — (Image credit: Stephen Lambrechts / Tom's Guide)

The greed of AI is impacting prices and release dates across the tech world, from phones and laptops to gaming devices. This week, Valve confirmed that Steam Deck handheld consoles will be available intermittently due to a memory shortage.

Now, a new report from Bloomberg claims that the Nintendo Switch 2 could see increased prices, and that Sony is considering delaying the next-generation PlayStation 6. The overall report is worth a read for a look at how companies are responding to the shortage from memory makers to their customers.

Switch 2 hike is likely coming

Nintendo Switch 2 displaying Mario Kart World — (Image credit: Future / Tom's Guide)

This isn't the first time we've heard rumors or speculation that Nintendo will increase the prices of its latest console. In January, a reputable research firm predicted a hike was coming this year.

Nintendo President Shintaro Furukawa didn't rule out raising prices in a separate January interview with Kyoto Shimbun. But he noted that the company is trying to get people into the ecosystem.

Nintendo execs sounded the alarm in early February during its earnings calls. President Shuntaro Furukawa highlighted U.S. tariffs as an issue affecting Nintendo while also raising concerns about rising memory costs.

"The market environment is indeed challenging. But we are engaging in long-term discussions with our suppliers to ensure we maintain a stable intake of chips,” Furukawa said at the time.

Furukawa has repeatedly asserted that Nintendo has some cushion in memory, at least for 2026. After this year, that situation is more than likely to change.

Delayed PS6

PlayStation passkey for PS5 — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Bloomberg also claimed that Sony is considering pushing the launch of the PS6 to 2028 or 2029. Most rumors currently have the PS6 debuting in 2028, at the earliest in late 2027.

How memory shortages impact Sony will be interesting to track, as the company was recently rumored to include up to 32GB of RAM in the PS6. The initial worry was that a leap in memory would make the PS6 more expensive, but now it's not clear when the console will even launch.

Rumors have linked the PS6 closely to the next Xbox, which has been tipped to launch next year. The difference, though, is that Sony is expected to stick to a moretraditional console launch with a main living room box alongside a decently powerful handheld console.

Xbox is rumored to have a standard console but is also allegedly leaning into its "everything is an Xbox" marketing. That means a new console, a potential handheld device, and reportedly Xboxes made by third-party OEMs like Asus and Lenovo. That could give Microsoft more leeway to launch earlier than the PlayStation, but even Microsoft could still be constrained by memory constraints.

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Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.

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