A global memory chip shortage caused by demand by AI fuelled data centres could set back the release date for Sony’s PlayStation 6 gaming console.

Sony had already foreshadowed that the PS6 may hit the markets late. Now 2028 or 2029 seems growingly likely for the next console release.

It appears more certain due to the explosive needs of AI infrastructure, says a report by Bloomberg.

Other manufacturers of consumer electronics such as smartphones and games consoles face a similar predicament.

Bloomberg says DRAM and high-bandwidth memory in particular is in demand.

That is seeing memory manufacturers prioritise data centre demands for chips by the likes of Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet ahead of consumer electronics, in a move being called ‘RAMmageddon’.

Sony is understood to be rescheduling its manufacturing in response.

The move would give Sony three more years of certainty ahead for the PS5 Pro, with interim improvements to the current console through firmware updates.

The downside is that rival Microsoft Xbox is due to its next console in 2027, a timing that will give it a market edge.

Sony, however, is not the only big manufacturer impacted.

Chinese outlet Jiemian reports that smartphone makers such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Shenzhen Transsion Holdings were cutting shipment targets for this year. Oppo was reducing its forecast by as much as 20 percent.

A source told Bloomberg that Samsung Electronics had increased the frequency of reviews of its memory supply contracts.

Nintendo meanwhile says it is considering a price rise for its Switch 2 console, the publication reports.