It seems that Sony wants to change its monetization strategy because it doesn’t want to earn more from hardware due to the memory crisis.

Although the rise in RAM prices has not yet had a widespread impact on current-generation console prices, it is likely that manufacturers will eventually raise hardware prices. In the case of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo is essentially waiting for the right moment. However, Sony plans to minimize the impact of high component prices. This is certainly not good news for current PlayStation 5 owners. In Sony‘s latest earnings report, CFO Lin Tao addressed the situation, stating that the company has secured the necessary memory for the upcoming holiday sales season at the end of the next fiscal year. Sony plans to minimize the impact of rising RAM prices by monetizing its installed base and increasing revenue from software and network services.

Needless to say, this does not seem like good news for the 92.2 million current PlayStation 5 owners. While a direct price increase for games is unlikely, the mention of network service revenue suggests that an increase in PlayStation Plus subscription fees may also be in the works. This would affect most users, as many games require a subscription to access online multiplayer modes.

Any price increase is unfortunate, but dealing with sharply rising component prices due to the AI-driven chip crisis is the biggest challenge all hardware manufacturers will face in the next few years. This situation is reportedly affecting next-gen consoles as well. The PlayStation 6 is unlikely to be released until 2028 or 2029, in hopes that prices will return to a more reasonable level by then.

The price increase for PlayStation Plus will certainly happen within six months. The question remains whether Sony will take its game selection more seriously in return. It’s shameful that the most expensive tier, PlayStation Plus Premium, only gets one game per month.

Source: WCCFTech, Sony