As we all know by now, the tech industry is in a real bind.
Demand from AI companies has disrupted the global supply chain of RAM, pushing prices sky high. It’s affecting everyone: from hobbyists shopping for PC components to giant consumer electronics companies like Sony.
Last year we reported that the Japanese giant had obtained enough RAM to shield it from the price increases in the short-term, and speaking during its earnings call earlier this month, CFO Lin Tao pointed out it has enough memory to see it through 2026 as well.
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“Going forward, we intend to further negotiate with various suppliers to secure enough supply to meet the demand of our customers,” she promised.
But even though it’s okay for now, rising prices are going to put a strain on its business. So how does Sony intend to deal with that?
Well, according to Tao the company plans to offset surging costs by focusing on “monetising the installed base”. This means it wants to extract more dollars from the wallets of existing PS5 owners.
She specifically mentioned growing software and network revenue, so we could be looking at anything from price increases to PS Plus to more aggressive efforts to get people spending more money.
It’s going to be interesting to see how it balances consumer satisfaction with aggressive sales targets. If the RAM price increases do eventually attack Sony’s bottom line, then it’s going to have to make back the money somewhere.
We’re already beginning to hear rumours that the PS6 may be delayed internally, which is going to dramatically upset the platform holder’s plans for the next few years.
We will give the company some credit, though: it’s already nimbly navigated semi-conductor shortages and crippling tariffs so far this generation, so let’s see what kind of plan it has in store for the latest round of global economic issues.