- YouTuber 'Moore’s Law is Dead' says Microsoft may be forced to increase the cost of Xbox consoles due to a global RAM shortage
- He explained Sony "planned ahead" so there likely won't be an increased to PS5 consoles
- The cost of Xbox consoles could increase "very soon", making it the third time since May this year
Microsoft will reportedly have to increase the price of Xbox consoles yet again "very soon" due to a potential global RAM shortage.
That's according to tech YouTuber 'Moore’s Law is Dead' in his new 'OpenAI RAM Hoarding Leak' video (via TGP), who spoke to multiple sources at retailers, memory makers, and partners.
They claim that because of the soaring cost and OpenAI's new deals with Samsung and SK hynix to secure a significant part of the world's DRAM supply for the foreseeable future, Microsoft may be forced to up the price of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
"[Microsoft] didn't plan ahead at all, apparently," they said. "If you still want an Xbox for some reason at their current pricing, those prices could go up soon, or supply could just entirely dry up because multiple sources of mine have apparently been warned by sales reps at Microsoft that this is going to affect the Xbox Series consoles very, very soon. Sooner rather than later."
Though there does appear to be a RAM shortage that could affect Microsoft, MLID said Sony will be saved from increasing the price of its PS5 consoles because it "planned ahead".
"From what I've heard, Sony planned ahead, bought up gobs of RAM near the bottom of the pricing, and thus they should be fine for months," the YouTuber added.
"They have plenty of GDDR6, at least that’s what I'm told. Prices could go up eventually; I could see that happening next year… but there is a reason Sony is cutting PlayStation 5 pricing for Black Friday. They aren't just doing this as some extreme move or because sales are bad. They can afford to do it; apparently, they are not worried about the RAM shortage, at least in the short- to mid-term."
If Microsoft is forced to increase the cost of its hardware for the third time, prices could skyrocket. It first increased the cost of its consoles in May this year, which saw a $100 hike on all Xbox Series X and S models, then again in September with an up to $70 increase.
It's been a tumultuous year for Microsoft. Just last month, it also announced major changes to Xbox Game Pass, which saw three upgraded plans and a massive price hike for the Ultimate membership.
Now, Ultimate costs $29.99 / £22.99 / AU$35.95 a month, up from $19.99 / £14.99 / AU$22.95. There's also currently no option to buy a 12-month subscription.
➡️ Read our full guide to the best Xbox controllers
1. Best overall:
Xbox Wireless Controller
2. Best budget:
8BitDo Pro 2
3. Best premium:
Razer Wolverine V3 Pro
4. Best wired:
GameSir Kaleid
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