Next-generation console buyers should brace for a steeper price tag in the coming years. Analysts at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan now project that Microsoft's Project Helix and Sony's PS6 will launch between $600 and $800. This forecast shifts the market baseline upward from the current generation's entry-level digital models. Consumers planning their next hardware upgrade will need to account for this higher cost barrier.
Analysts link the higher cost to easing RAM and storage prices by 2028
The pricing projection relies heavily on the assumption that component shortages will resolve by 2028. S&P Global Market Intelligence states that the recovery period depends on RAM and storage costs becoming more reasonable. Without this easing of supply chain pressures, the predicted price points may not hold. The forecast treats these cost reductions as a critical assumption for the industry's recovery.
Current console pricing provides a stark contrast to these future estimates. The base digital version of the PlayStation 5 currently retails for $599. Microsoft is also raising the price of the Xbox Series X to $750 on August 1st. These immediate price hikes signal that the path to the $600 to $800 range may begin well before the next generation ships.
Market dynamics are also shifting alongside hardware costs. Analyst Neil Barbour predicts that console shipments will drop 19.5 percent in 2026 to 33.9 million units. This decline suggests a cooling demand period before the new hardware arrives. Production focus on High Bandwidth Memory for AI applications may further constrain console RAM availability.
We have been tracking Project Helix, PS6 closely — see our earlier coverage on Microsoft’s Project Helix Could Omit Controller. While insiders pin 2027 to 2028 as the likely release window, market conditions could delay the PS6 launch. The final pricing remains subject to how quickly component costs stabilize in the years leading up to release.
Source: NotebookCheck
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