The Next Xbox and PS6 May Be Delayed by a RAM Shortage — Here's What's Actually Being Reported

The next generation of game consoles hasn't even been officially unveiled, and it's already tangled up in a very unglamorous problem: the global price of memory chips.

What started as a wave of DRAM and NAND price hikes tied to the AI data center boom has already hit current-generation Xbox consoles on store shelves. Now, according to a report from respected industry insider Tom Henderson at Insider Gaming, that same shortage has reportedly opened an internal debate at Sony and Microsoft over whether the PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox should be pushed back entirely, beyond their rumored 2027–2028 launch window. Nothing here is confirmed by either company — and at least one other well-known insider has publicly pushed back on the claim. Here's what's actually being said, by whom, and how much of it is solid.

A Price Hike That's Already Real

Before getting to the rumor, it's worth separating out what isn't speculation. Microsoft has confirmed it is raising Xbox console prices worldwide from August 1, 2026, and the company has explicitly cited memory and storage costs — which it says have climbed to roughly 2.5 times earlier levels — as a driver. According to Khaleej Times, Microsoft hasn't announced UAE-specific pricing, but based on confirmed global increases the outlet estimated a Series S 512GB could rise from around AED 1,249 to roughly AED 1,599, with the Series X 1TB climbing from about AED 2,099 to near AED 2,649. Gaming handhelds have reportedly been hit even harder: outlet TBreak reported UAE pricing on devices like Lenovo's Legion Go 2 jumping sharply, and noted Gulf buyers already pay an extra 8–10% on top due to import duties and logistics.

That's the backdrop. The rumor is what comes next.

The Rumor: Delaying Next-Gen Consoles Entirely

Henderson's report, which first surfaced on the Insider Gaming Weekly podcast in December and was later written up in more detail, claims that Sony and Microsoft are internally weighing whether to delay their next-generation hardware — reportedly codenamed projects tied to Sony's PS6 and an AMD-built "Orion" APU on the Xbox side — past the 2027–2028 release window that had been circulating in earlier leaks. The reasoning, according to Henderson, is straightforward: if the console makers can't source enough RAM at a sane price, they either eat the cost, ship consoles above $1,000, or wait for supply to normalize. Some industry estimates reportedly suggest memory prices could double again by late 2027 before any relief arrives.

It's important to be precise about what this is: a report of internal discussion and industry concern, not an announced decision. Sony, notably, has still not confirmed any PS6 launch date publicly, which is itself consistent with a company keeping its options open.

Not Everyone Is Convinced

Here's where the story gets murkier, which is exactly why it belongs in the "rumors" bucket rather than the news pages. Prominent leaker Moore's Law Is Dead pushed back on Henderson's framing, reportedly stating that "the decision has not been made to delay any consoles" and that Microsoft's manufacturing agreement with AMD for the rumored Orion chip remains on track for mass production by mid-2027. Henderson reportedly responded to that pushback dismissively, but the two haven't actually resolved the disagreement — it's an open dispute between insiders, not a confirmed timeline shift. Treat any specific 2027 or 2028 date you see cited right now as provisional at best.

Why Memory Got This Expensive

The underlying cause isn't really a gaming story — it's an AI infrastructure one. Data center operators buying up high-bandwidth and server memory at massive scale have squeezed the broader DRAM and NAND supply that console makers, PC builders, and phone manufacturers all compete for. That's the same dynamic behind reports of Samsung potentially pushing consumer memory prices up another 80% this year, and it's why pricing pressure is showing up simultaneously across Xbox consoles, PC gaming handhelds, and now, reportedly, next-gen console roadmaps.

What It Means for Gulf Gamers

For UAE and wider Gulf buyers, the practical takeaway right now isn't about the PS6 or next Xbox at all — it's that current-generation hardware is getting more expensive, and regional import markups mean that pain lands harder here than in the US or Europe. If the delay rumor turns out to be accurate, current-gen PS5 and Xbox Series consoles would simply stay the only option for longer, likely at higher prices than gamers have been used to.

Bottom Line

What's confirmed: Xbox prices are rising worldwide, including an expected increase in the UAE, because of real memory cost pressure. What's rumored and contested: whether that same pressure is serious enough to delay the PS6 and next Xbox past 2027–2028. Multiple industry insiders are reportedly discussing it, but Sony and Microsoft have made no official statement, and other sources dispute the delay claim outright. This is very much a developing story — worth revisiting once either company says something on the record.