PS6 is Going to be Sony's Most Expensive Console Ever

The PlayStation 6 isn’t coming for years, but a new leak has already got a lot of people talking about the future of the console. This time there are no images, exclusive games, or new features to focus on. It's really about something much more important: how much Sony might have to pay to make the system.

PlayStation 6's bill of materials has reached almost $1,000. That number was said to be around $760 a few months ago, which means that the cost of production has gone up by about $200 in a short time.

There is no proof that Sony has confirmed these numbers, but they are not good for the company's plans for its next-generation gear. The bill of materials only lists the physical parts that will be inside the console. It doesn't consider the issues of assembling it, shipping it, storing it, or delivering a console to stores around the world.

When those costs are taken into account, Sony may actually spend even more per unit. So, the company has to find a hard balance between keeping prices low so that customers will buy and not losing a lot of money on every machine that is sold. Of course, some fans have thought Sony could just put off releasing the PlayStation 6 until the prices of other consoles drop.

That might not be the answer, though. Putting off the system will only be good if the prices of the parts start to go down over the next few years. Costs might keep going up, so waiting longer might make things worse instead of better.

PlayStation 6's hardware specs have already been set, which means that a later release date would not mean a more powerful system.

Sony's plan would probably be to release the system as planned and then lower its price later if it costs less to make over time. This is similar to what the company did with the PlayStation 3, whose price went down over time as the cost of making it went down. The reported rise in production costs also brings to light a problem that the whole console business is facing.

Sony isn't the only company whose tech costs are going up. Sources say that rising memory costs and more expensive parts are becoming a bigger worry for the market as a whole. Other console makers, like Microsoft, might have to rethink how they price future gear if these trends keep up.

This could all mean the next wave of consoles will be a lot more expensive than the last ones. Sony has not announced the PlayStation 6 yet, so there’s no clear word on its specs, when it will come out, or how much it will cost. Still, if the most recent leak shows how things are going with development right now, people may need to change their hopes for a cheap next-generation system.

While Sony hasn't said anything public yet, one thing is becoming more and more clear: it costs more and more every year to make cutting-edge gaming hardware. If it really does cost close to $1,000 to make each unit, the biggest question may not be when the PlayStation 6 comes out, but how much people will have to pay for it when it does.