The PS5 has just announced a global price increase starting from April 2, and some people in the market have immediately begun to calculate how expensive the next generation will be. KeplerL2, a whistleblower in the hardware circle, mentioned in the NeoGAF discussion thread in response to players’ questions that he currently estimates that the bill of materials (BOM, material cost) of Sony’s next-generation console PS6 is about US$760 (approximately TWD 24,351.79 / HKD 5,953.21 / MYR 3,049.67). There is also a possibility of “subsidizing” the actual manufacturing cost to US$699 (approximately TWD 22,397.24 / HKD 5,475.38 / MYR 2,804.89) possible. But he also questioned: Is Sony willing to provide subsidies anymore?
BOM is not the selling price, but it will determine whether Sony is willing to sell the console at a loss.
Let me make it clear first, BOM is not equal to MSRP (suggested retail price). How much the player will pay in the end depends on the costs of R&D, marketing, channels, transportation, exchange rate fluctuations, etc., so “materials 760” does not mean “sales 760”. But the significance of BOM is: if Sony wants to maintain a starting price that doesn’t look so scary, it has to consider subsidies; if it doesn’t, it will be difficult for the MSRP to not rise.
The article also uses Microsoft’s rumored next-generation console Project Helix as a comparison: if its MSRP is really likely to exceed US$1,000 (approximately TWD 32,041.83 / HKD 7,833.17 / MYR 4,012.72), it will not be surprising that the PS6 will follow the high price range.
The rumored specifications are getting bigger and bigger: detachable optical disc drive, handheld version, AMD Zen 6 + RDNA 5
In addition to the cost estimate, the article also compiled rumors about the PS6: it may have a detachable disc drive, or even a handheld console similar to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam Deck; the core hardware is said to continue to use AMD, including an 8-core Zen 6 APU and RDNA 5 GPU, and focus on higher-end ray tracing performance. These sound powerful, but they also push up the cost.
DRAM is out of stock and the fever has not completely subsided.
One of the key variables driving up BOM is the DRAM memory shortage that will begin in the fall of 2025. The prices of key components such as RAM and SSD have skyrocketed, directly driving up the cost of PCs and consoles. While some DDR5 package prices have shown signs of falling recently, overall prices remain above pre-crisis levels.
If this wave of memory market does not really cool down, PS6 and Project Helix are rumored to be launched as early as 2027, which may make both companies have to rethink: Should they continue to bet on subsidizing the number of replacement units, or simply raise the price and let players digest it themselves? For SEA markets where currency pressure already affects console adoption, a launch price near this range would likely push buyers toward delayed upgrades, installment purchases, and stronger demand for cross-generation support rather than immediate day-one migration.