RAM Prices: Leading to a Massive Shift in Video Game Consumption?
It’s a bit scary to admit, but we’re already six years into the PS5/Xbox Series generation. For many people, this generation has marked a disappointing moment in video game history. These consoles signify that there is almost no desire to push hardware to its fullest potential. Instead of creating a game exclusively for a new console; why not just make it compatible with the previous generation which already has a huge install base? Hell, in 2027 we’re going to be getting Mega Man: Dual Override on PS4, thirteen years after that console launched!
It wasn’t until 2025 that Sony announced that there were more active PS5 users than PS4 users. And yet, rumors were circulating that Sony was already preparing for the PlayStation 6!
But with the recent news that RAM prices are skyrocketing thanks to the horrifying AI industry, more rumors are circulating that the next generation of consoles might be delayed. Even worse, there’s a possibility that the current generation consoles may go up in price! Five year old hardware going up in price (again)?!
People are still just now getting into the PlayStation 5 ecosystem. For reference, my longtime childhood best friend just got a PS5 for Christmas in 2025. For him and millions of other people, their PS5 journey just got started. For a new console to be on the way in a year or two is absolutely ridiculous. And what about the already announced Steam Machine? Are we going to see that console launch at over a thousand dollars? Hell, the Xbox Rog already broke that price point!
I was speculating with my friend a few days ago that I just can’t help but shake the feeling that we are heading towards a monumental shift in the gaming marketplace. The way people view, consume, and stay with a game are going to change. With these price hikes, it’s still kind of hard to argue against Game Pass. Even myself, somebody who tries his hardest to play the newest games and stay up to date with the hobby; one of my New Years Resolutions is to buy far fewer video games. So even a diehard fan such as myself will be contributing to the problem. We already saw this issue during the holiday season of 2025.
Most casual gamers care about games like Marvel Rivals, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Apex Legends (which all besides Rivals can be played on previous generation hardware). So as long as they can play those games and maybe 1-2 triple-A games a year- they’re satisfied.
My friend speculates another video game crash will happen, even comparing it to the “decline of the movie industry”. Personally, I disagree. A crash would have to indicate that people are spending less and less money on games- which doesn’t seem to be the case at all. Yes, $600 consoles and $60-$70 video game sales might decline, but people will still gladly buy $20 skins in Fortnite or a $20 indie game. The movie industry isn’t dying- the movie theater industry is dying. I love seeing new films, but I don’t like the predatory prices of the theater. The desire for new films isn’t gone. The desire for new games isn’t gone either. But consumers need reasonably priced and length games. We saw with Astro Bot and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that games don’t need budgets of $100 million or 40 hours to be good. The onus of this shift is on the developers and publishers. Stop making games in an unsustainable fashion.
I don’t predict a crash, but I do predict a growing stinginess with gamers. A stinginess to move onto the newest and hottest stuff. Why should gamers pay $70 for a new game when for the same price they could buy a handful of amazing games on sale via Steam or other digital marketplaces? We live in an age where our cumulative backlog is massive and filled with high quality and fidelity games. Once again, to use myself as an example; I’m currently replaying some Game Boy Advanced favorites and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Older and cheaper games suit my free time and wallet much better than the games of today.
And I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling that way.
