The worldwide chip crisis could have major impacts on PlayStation and Nintendo’s hardware plans.
In a new story outlining the larger effects of the AI-driven memory shortage, Bloomberg outlined how the two Japanese console giants might respond, citing sources familiar with both of their plans.
Specifically, the publication reports that Nintendo is mulling over a price increase of the Nintendo Switch 2, while Sony is considering delaying the launch of its currently-unannounced next console, presumably named the PlayStation 6, to 2028 or even 2029. That last point is especially noteworthy as over the past several months, comments from lead PlayStation console architect Mark Cerny, as well as various reports, have indicated that the PS6 could come in late 2027. This would be seven years since the November 2020 launch of the PS5, which also came seven years after its predecessor, the PS4.
It’s worth noting that AMD recently suggested that Microsoft’s next Xbox consoles are coming in 2027. Bloomberg doesn’t mention Microsoft in its feature, so it’s unclear whether the American tech giant is considering a delay of its own. So far, it increased the price of its Xbox consoles twice last year, one of which affected Canada. That said, Microsoft has been shifting to an increasingly platform-agnostic approach in recent years, so it’s possible that it isn’t planning to directly compete with the PS6 with its new hardware — at least, not in the way it has in the past.
Meanwhile, Nintendo has been in its new hardware generation since the launch of the Switch 2 last June, and it’s been the company’s fastest-selling console to date with over 17 million units sold so far. Naturally, then, a price increase could slow that momentum, although Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said last week that the company has yet to make a decision on the matter.
Last year, all eyes were on what Nintendo might do with the Switch 2 as both Sony and Microsoft raised hardware prices in various markets. In the end, Nintendo only began to charge more for original Switch hardware and software. That said, Nintendo’s pricing for Switch 2 games is higher than other publishers, with most of the console’s games costing $99.99 and some, like Mario Kart World, even reaching $109.99.
Unfortunately, the tech market as a whole is likely only going to get worse as companies like Google, Microsoft and Nvidia continue to pursue AI and create even more demand for the already-limited chips.
Source: Bloomberg
