Rising demand for memory and storage, driven partly by artificial-intelligence hardware, is pushing up costs across the games industry. Sony says it has secured enough RAM to cover its planned PlayStation 5 sales through the 2026 holiday season and into early 2027, although the outlook beyond that remains uncertain as the PlayStation 6 draws closer.
Sony says PS5 memory supply is secured
In its latest earnings report, Sony said it had obtained the memory required to meet its projected PlayStation 5 sales volume for FY26. The company also said its hardware-profitability plan for FY26 remains broadly in line with FY25.
Sony says it has secured the memory quantity needed for its projected FY26 PlayStation 5 sales volume.
That statement does not confirm whether the PS5 will avoid another price increase during the second half of 2026. It does, however, suggest that Sony is not currently planning for a console shortage during the crucial holiday period.
GTA VI could drive holiday console demand
Players who have not yet moved to the current generation may be looking to buy a PS5 before Grand Theft Auto VI launches in November. Sony has raised its projected revenue for the financial year by 3 percent and its projected operating income by 10 percent.
For readers comparing new hardware with a dedicated home arcade machine, the broader hardware market is a useful reminder that component costs can affect all types of gaming equipment.
PS5 sales slow despite price rises
Sony sold 1.38 million new PS5 consoles in the latest quarter, down from 1.56 million during the same period a year earlier. The decline was smaller than some expectations, particularly after the standard PS5 received a $100 price increase in March.
Third-party game sales increased year over year, while first-party sales fell by 900,000 units. That result may indicate a weaker performance for Saros. Four months after its release, Sony had still not published sales figures for Housemarque’s science-fiction shooter, nor had it updated the sales information for 2025’s Ghost of Yotei.
The company’s wider gaming business continues to serve a substantial audience. PlayStation recorded 125 million monthly active users, an increase of 2 million compared with the same period in 2025, as detailed in its latest user figures.
PS5 lifetime sales reach 95.3 million
Lifetime PlayStation 5 sales have now reached 95.3 million consoles. The system remains behind the PlayStation 4 at the equivalent stage of its lifespan, although the gap is relatively small despite repeated price increases linked first to tariffs and now to the severe memory shortage.
Sony has also announced that physical discs for new games will be phased out in 2028. For now, though, digital sales have not completely overtaken boxed releases: the digital-to-physical sales ratio fell by 1 percent in the latest quarter.
As the industry prepares for Grand Theft Auto VI and the eventual PlayStation 6, supply, pricing and component availability will remain important considerations for players. Arcade enthusiasts facing similar hardware decisions can also explore upright arcade cabinets, compact bartop arcades or the latest updates on the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
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