After the recent PlayStation 5 price increase, it’s easy to understand why many gamers are bracing for sticker shock when Sony finally introduces its next-generation console. Online chatter has increasingly pushed the idea that the PS6 could launch at an unreasonable price, possibly even crossing the $1,000 mark. But one well-known YouTuber who frequently discusses rumored PS6 specifications argues that those fears may be overblown.
In a new breakdown focused on the likely parts inside Sony’s next console, Moore’s Law Is Dead estimates what the PlayStation 6 could cost to produce based on current component pricing and supply constraints. The analysis centers on the more powerful model, said to use an “Orion” APU design, and offers a manufacturing estimate of around $743.
The biggest cost drivers in the projected bill of materials are memory and storage—two areas that have been vulnerable to price spikes and supply issues. If the ongoing memory shortage continues into the PS6 era, the system’s presumed 30GB of RAM could account for roughly $300 on its own. Storage is another major factor, with a 1TB SSD estimated at about $142.50 in today’s market. Put together, those two parts alone take up a large chunk of the expected production cost, helping explain why next-gen pricing predictions have climbed.
Even with those pressures, the YouTuber believes a PS6 launch MSRP around $749 is plausible. That would still represent a significant jump compared to earlier PlayStation generations at launch, but it’s far from the dramatic $1,000+ scenario some forecasts have suggested.
The wildcard, however, is tariffs. According to the same estimates, a 30% tariff impact could push that projected price dramatically higher—potentially inflating the console’s effective cost to around $949. The argument is that this type of added expense can quickly reshape retail pricing, and it’s cited as a major reason console pricing has felt less predictable in recent years.
Still, the outlook isn’t entirely pessimistic. The leaker suggests tariffs could be changed or overturned by the time the PS6 is ready to release, which would immediately improve Sony’s ability to keep the console closer to mainstream expectations. While high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is singled out as a part that may remain expensive, the hope is that other component costs stabilize as supply improves and the market normalizes.
That’s why the YouTuber pushes back against the loudest “PS6 will cost over $1,000” predictions. If memory availability improves and tariffs don’t weigh down pricing, the final retail cost might end up feeling surprisingly reasonable compared to today’s worst-case assumptions.
As for when the PS6 will actually be revealed, the projection is that Sony may wait longer than many expect. With shifting economic conditions, uncertainty around memory supply, and the unpredictable impact of tariffs, a cautious strategy makes sense. Rather than rushing to lock in expectations, Sony could hold off until it can present firmer details on pricing and hardware configurations—including ongoing rumors about a lower-end “S” model and even a handheld variant.
Interestingly, the analysis also suggests Sony may not be too concerned about the current wave of price speculation. If expectations are set extremely high now, Sony would have an opportunity to “beat” them later—especially if costs ease before launch. Even so, if $749 turns out to be the target, the PS6 would still debut hundreds of dollars higher than the previous generation did at release, making PS6 price and value one of the biggest gaming conversations leading into the next console cycle.
