Next-gen PS6, Project Helix may cost $1,000 at launch, analysts warn

Analysts and industry experts weigh in on the current state of game console prices, warning that the next-gen PS6 and Project Helix might cost $1,000 at release.

Afflicted with sticker shock, gamers are balking at the newly announced PS5 price hikes, particularly to the $900 price tag attached to Sony's mid-gen PlayStation 5 Pro console. But key figures in the games industry say that this new era of prohibitive pricing may just be the beginning of things to come, and higher MSRP could be here to stay throughout Gen 10.

"We're quickly moving towards a world in which a $1,000 console will be the norm, and console gaming will become a luxury expenditure," Joost van Dreunen, co-founder of analyst firm Superdata (acquired by Circana) and a current professor of NYU Stern School of Business, tells GamesRadar in a recent interview.

"I think $999 at least for one variant of the PS6 is not impossible," Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japanese games consultancy firm Kantan Games, tells GamesRadar.

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Considering the size of the PlayStation ecosystem, Sony's latest price increase has triggered a cascade of worry among gamers, especially given Sony management's comments about further monetizing the PS5 player base in a bid to stave off slowing console adoption.

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Back in October 2025, Microsoft caught flak for a similar price increase to its Xbox Series consoles and accessories, leading to the second hardware price hike of the year and the first modern games market with an $800 console.

Sony's next business briefing goes live in May, and the company is expected to reveal its new Mid-Range Plan for its PlayStation segment during its annual strategy meeting.

The Japanese games company has also earned the ire of gamers with its new dynamic pricing strategy, which can lead to different prices for different users for the same game.