PS6 release date should be pushed back after the Steam Deck price increase

A 2027 release date feels far too early for the PlayStation 6

(Credit: The Shortcut/Google Gemini)

• 🤔 Valve’s recent Steam Deck price rises have brought into question whether the PS6 release date should be pushed back

• 📈 The ongoing memory crisis has forced companies to drastically increase hardware prices due to rising costs

• 📆 It’s unclear as to how badly this could affect the PlayStation 6 by the time it reaches the expected 2027 release date

• 🤐 Sony hasn’t reportedly changed its launch plans, although it has said no word officially on potential pricing and availability for the console

There’s growing concern about how the recent hardware price rise for Valve’s humble Steam Deck might affect our expectations for the PlayStation 6.

If you weren’t aware, Valve has raised the price of the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED by nearly 50% to make the 512GB model $789 and the 1TB model $949 – that works out to a 44% and 46% jump, respectively.

That essentially means the 512GB model is dearer than a standard PS5, and the 1TB model is more expensive than a PS5 Pro, even after Sony’s own hefty PS5 price rises.

If Valve has put the Steam Deck up by nearly 50% on both counts, it begs the question as to what it could mean for the PlayStation 6.

Back in August 2025, largely before the memory crisis had begun in earnest, it had been predicted that Sony would be aggressive with the PS6’s pricing and target the same $499 price tag as its predecessor with a much beefier console in tow, plus the potential for a PSP 2 style handheld as an accompanying device.

However, in the several months since then, the landscape has drastically changed to the point that it’s feared that the PS6’s price could balloon well into four figures if the recent rises for the Steam Deck and Sony’s own consoles are anything to go by.

Is 2027 a realistic PS6 release date?

With it being rumored that Sony is targeting 2027 for the PS6 release date, given that its launch plans reportedly haven’t changed, it brings into question how viable such a prominent console hardware launch can be, with pricing potentially being so high.

Sony itself has said it doesn’t know when the PS6 is going to launch, or how much the console is going to cost, given the volatility of memory pricing, and this recent Valve price rise doesn’t exactly help matters.

We still don’t know much about the PlayStation 6 officially, beyond that Sony has said the next console generation has been “top of mind” in recent months, although leaks have indicated it could be a versatile console with accompanying handheld with a large amount of memory and with the ability to play discs as well as digital games.

A ray of hope

It’s worth remembering, though, that Sony is likely to have better economies of scale, given that it’s purchasing and selling consoles in the tens of millions, potentially leading to lower prices, and therefore a lower retail price than we may be fearing.

However, until we get any official word, all we can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worst at the same time.

Up next: GTA 6 reviews need be positive for the game to be successful, says publisher Take-Two

Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.