When the PlayStation 5 Pro initially launched, the console was priced at $699. However, due to the ongoing RAM shortage that has made many gadgets more expensive, the console now sells for $900. Is the PS5 Pro worth this price? It depends on what you want from the console. But the PS5 Pro could soon become the cheaper alternative for PlayStation gamers.
In August 2026, Ampere Analysis, a global entertainment analytics and analytics company, filed a new report regarding Sony and Microsoft’s upcoming consoles, the PlayStation 6 and Project Helix. According to VGC’s coverage, both companies could launch their “conventionally designed and progressively improved next-generation consoles” in 2028. However, if they did, there’s a good chance the rigs would cost $1,000 – that’s a real possibility given the price of the PS5 Pro. The PlayStation 4 Pro was released for $399.99, and the PS5 later launched for $499.99, so there is precedent.
Ampere Analysis also said that if Sony released the PS6 (and Microsoft released the final chosen name for Project Helix) at $1,000, companies would just be shooting themselves in the foot. According to the company’s calculations, such a price would result in a 38% drop in sales compared to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, resulting in a market loss of $3.4 billion. At least, compared to when the console released at a more reasonable price like $700.
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t
Between Sony abandoning physical disc manufacturing and rumors that the next console will use a controller with touchscreen inputs, Sony has an uphill battle for its next-gen console. Price could serve as a tipping point in this fight, but depending on how Sony approaches monetization, it could solve one problem to create another.
Ampere Analysis offered several tips to help Sony avoid selling the PS6 for $1,000. These include using hardware subsidies and new monetization models, taking a page from Nintendo’s playbook and putting “less emphasis on graphical enhancement”, and simply delaying the launch beyond 2028. According to reports, Sony may be considering the latter anyway due to the current RAM shortage. In fact, Sony refuses to confirm solid release windows. That’s not the same as saying the console has been delayed indefinitely, but it’s very close. More of a “We’ll sell it when we have an idea of RAM stock and pricing” sort of promise.
Once again, Sony has set a precedent that could stand in its way. There was a six-year gap between the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, a seven-year gap between the PS3 and PS4 launches, and another seven-year gap between the PS4 and PS5. The public expects Sony to maintain this pace and, according to a Bloomberg report, breaking it would disrupt “a carefully orchestrated strategy to keep users engaged across generations of hardware.” But one could argue that selling the PS6 for $1,000 or more could have the same effect. Whatever strategy Sony chooses, it risks losing part of its audience.
