PS6 and Next Gen Xbox Could Face a Major Upgrade Problem

With memory costs rising and storage shrinking, console generations are back on the agenda: Should console makers hit the brakes on their next console and wait for studios to catch up on what they have, or what they won't be able to do? In a recent panel discussion, panelists asked whether a delay is necessary, what features a console with roughly the same RAM and SSD capacity would have, and whether Switch 2 signals a new direction for future consoles.

Cross-gen time has already grown longer than ever, with a new console potentially launching before studios can maintain support for two older ones. That said, as panelist Will pointed out, manufacturers won't just drop a launch because of high costs. Sony and Microsoft invested significant funds in R&D to prepare new hardware, and that investment should pay off once the consoles sell.

Why a Full Delay is Unlikely to Happen

Waiting for RAM to get cheaper also costs time, since silicon designs tend to be set in stone early. This also costs the later release, because it's now further behind what is technically possible by then. There's always a possibility of a partial delay, though, with a console version available at an extra price for those who can afford it. Meanwhile, everyone else continues to play on current-generation consoles.

Panelist John concurred, noting that these current-generation components are already expensive, and much of what they require is the same as a next-gen system, so the delay won't offer much real-term savings to justify it. He said his personal interest in a potential next PlayStation has shifted; it is now more work-related than an event he could enjoy personally. For him, a new console that launches on time gives him a new topic to talk about.

The panel also discussed other ways physical ownership influences purchasing decisions, beyond the delay question. John described a hybrid model: he plays some games on PC, some on console, and sometimes still buys disc versions even if he already owns a PC version because some games matter to him. 

He prefers digital releases, favoring PC because it is more open and has no ownership issues. In that sense, the change affects how goods and services are bought and sold. Under current pricing and format pressures, double-A and some triple-A titles are more likely to be skipped. In contrast, indie and smaller titles will hit an easy price point, thanks to the digital marketplace making a $20 release commercially viable.

What a Cost-Efficient Next-Gen SOC Might Be Like

On the hardware side, one issue is that SOC costs have risen compared to previous generations, and that increase will show up in how Sony and Microsoft design their next systems. However, those initial plans might not have fixed RAM or SSD capacity.

That means it could be possible to create a console with the same memory and storage as the current generation, at a price similar to today's consoles, and focus on the SOC's capabilities. The key signature for that next generation has been identified as Zen 6 and RDNA 5, following standard reporting on both, plus a video walkthrough from Mark Cerny indicating that RDNA 5 is Sony's development path.

Squeezing output from hardware, not chasing raw specs, was a recurring theme in Switch2. While the panel highlighted machine-learning-based upscaling and better ray-tracing support as ways a smaller SOC can do more than it's worth, the same could apply to a home console built on those principles rather than just a portable device.

Microsoft's messaging about a family of devices also creates another layer of uncertainty.

For instance, if you play Resident Evil Requiem on Switch 2 without any upscaling method like DLSS, you get 540p output when connected to the dock, which isn't very pretty. The comparison shows the benefit of upscaling and reconstruction technology, which can scale the raw shader output down to an acceptable image.

One suggestion was to use the APU in the PlayStation handheld in a living room set-top box instead of the PlayStation 5, and it wouldn't cost significantly more to manufacture. But if that isn't the case, or if PlayStation instead takes the full leap into the Switch and makes the PS5 a stand-alone product with clearly defined boundaries, it remains to be seen.

Even if the strategy worked on other systems, PlayStation 6's nuclear design and Microsoft's Project Helix would have been set in stone long ago, so such a switch could have minimal impact on those systems. As mentioned, Microsoft's proposed SOC path would let it keep the same processor-side component while swapping the RDNA5-based GPU for a different one across devices.

That should allow Microsoft to adjust performance targets across its lineup without redesigning the entire chip for every device. As more information emerges, Microsoft will have to watch as it builds its offering around that flexibility and decide whether to pursue cutting-edge features, as Switch2 did.