Australia’s gamers could soon feel the impact of a global memory shortage, with reports suggesting Nintendo may lift the price of the Switch 2 and Sony could delay its next-generation PlayStation until as late as 2029.

According to industry sources cited by Bloomberg, Sony is weighing whether to push back the launch of its PlayStation 6 to 2028 or even 2029, diverging from its traditional six-to-seven-year console cycle.

The PS5 launched in November 2020, putting 2027 as the expected window for a successor. A delay beyond that would mark an unprecedented extension for the brand.

At the same time, Nintendo is reportedly considering a price increase for the Switch 2, which launched at US$699.95.

The company has so far resisted raising hardware prices despite global cost pressures, but the ongoing surge in memory prices may force its hand.

The common culprit is a severe spike in DRAM and NAND pricing, driven by booming demand from AI data centres.

Chipmakers are prioritising higher-margin AI server contracts, leaving consumer electronics manufacturers scrambling for supply.

Counterpoint Research reports that memory prices for consumer applications have jumped more than 600% over the past year, with some categories rising nearly sevenfold.

In lower-end routers, memory now accounts for more than 20% of the bill of materials, up from just 3% a year ago. The firm expects pricing pressure to continue through at least mid-2026.

The knock-on effect for consoles is twofold: higher production costs and tighter component availability. That raises the prospect of more expensive hardware at retail – or delayed launches while manufacturers wait for more favourable supply conditions.

Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has acknowledged that memory price rises are occurring faster than expected, though the company says no decision has been made on changing Switch 2 pricing.