Six out of ten buyers might turn away from the PlayStation 6 and the Xbox Project Helix if they have to pay a four-digit dollar amount for them.

If they are released in late 2027 or early 2028, as expected, the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Project Helix will be highly anticipated. However, the high cost of components is turning this exciting period into a nightmare for gamers and console manufacturers alike. At current price levels, both platforms could retail for at least $1,000, which would make this the least popular generation yet. Ampere Analysis recently published a report on Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen consoles. The report highlights that launching the new hardware at $1,000 in 2028 would have catastrophic consequences for adoption. Total console sales could drop by as much as 38% over five years. Considering the market for games and services would shrink 12% compared to a $700 launch price, a $1,000 price point would significantly impact the industry.

Since this situation is beyond Sony and Microsoft’s control, Ampere offered a few suggestions on how the two manufacturers could weather these difficult times. The first option would be to postpone the release of the PlayStation 6 and the Xbox Project Helix until after 2028, hoping that component prices will fall by then. However, Sony and Microsoft are unlikely to choose this path for several reasons, including the fact that delaying production would cause even more problems and lead to greater financial losses. For example, Sony would lose its 3-nm production quota from TSMC, which has already been secured for the second quarter of 2027, further delaying the release of the new consoles.

The second option is to maintain the planned release date while lowering prices through greater hardware subsidies, new revenue models, more aggressive digital content strategies, and optimized sales channels. Over the past few months, Sony has hinted at this, which could lead to further price increases, such as for PlayStation Plus. Gamers would not respond well to this move, given that the company has already lost the loyalty of many of its users with its decision to end game disc production in 2028.

The third and final option, which both Sony and Microsoft have already considered, is to innovate in hardware design and applications with less emphasis on graphical improvements. Since the PlayStation 6 is reportedly set to launch alongside a handheld device that wouldn’t significantly limit the desktop console and since Xbox Project Helix aims to bridge the gap between console and PC gaming, the two console manufacturers have shown some foresight.

However, amid the high prices driving up the cost of current-generation hardware, the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Project Helix could not have chosen a worse release window. Since we’re likely looking at the longest generation gap of all time, both platforms will have an even harder time convincing gamers to upgrade.

Source: WCCFTech, VGC