It would cost Sony $200 more to make a PS6 now than it did in March

A new estimate from a reputable leaker indicates that the PlayStation 6 bill of materials has increased by roughly $200 since March, bringing the updated component cost estimate to $960. This change follows a previous projection from the same source, which estimated the console's bill of materials at approximately $760.

Kepler_L2 (via Wccftech) noted back in March that a $699 retail price remained possible if Sony accepted a reasonable per-unit subsidy. However, the updated figure alters that outlook, as an additional $200 in material costs makes a $699 launch price much harder to support without a larger subsidy. The source attributes these rising costs to an industry-wide surge in memory and NAND prices, which have already affected PC hardware, handhelds, and prebuilt systems.

Sony hasn't announced official specifications, pricing, launch timing, or the final hardware configuration for the PlayStation 6. While Microsoft has been more open about Project Helix, its next-generation Xbox platform, Sony hasn't discussed its next-generation console plans or timeline. Furthermore, bill of materials projections don't reflect final retail pricing, which ultimately depends on Sony's margin targets, launch strategy, taxes, and margins across the pipeline. The company could choose to subsidise the hardware at launch or set a higher price to avoid future adjustments.

KitGuru says: Rising component costs are squeezing hardware margins across the tech sector, and next-generation consoles clearly won't be immune to these factors.

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