Is the *PS6* delay really not a bad thing? Gamers’ wallets can breathe a sigh of relief first.

Compared with the generation transition from PS4 to PS5, the pace of this round of PS6 and the new Xbox is clearly more subtle. Recently, gaming outlet TheGamer publicly supported Sony and Microsoft delaying the release of next-generation consoles. The reason is not that players do not want new machines, but that the current hardware environment is not well suited for an aggressive push. It argues that the global expansion of AI data centers is driving up the cost of core components such as memory and SSDs; in the console market, the result is that the prices of existing devices are all trending upward.

By contrast, PC players may feel this more directly. In the past, when upgrading a graphics card, memory, or SSD, they could at least do it in stages according to their budget; console players, however, usually buy the whole system in one go, so when prices break out of the traditional range, the pressure becomes more concentrated. TheGamer believes that the next generation of consoles will most likely be more expensive than before, which is not exactly friendly to ordinary players. It has also directly expressed the view that “a delayed launch for new consoles is not necessarily a bad thing.”

If you compare cross-generation games of the same type, today’s PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have not actually been fully pushed to their limits yet. Many blockbuster titles still have to account for multiplatform releases: the PC versions offer higher frame rates and finer visual settings, while the console versions focus on a stable experience; handhelds and cloud gaming then lower the performance requirement by another notch. What truly creates a gap is often not raw computing power alone, but art direction, level design, and gameplay loops. A game with real ideas leaves a stronger impression than an HD remaster that merely refreshes textures.

Looking at it from another angle, the problem of frequently releasing HD remasters is indeed becoming more obvious. The PS5 version may offer less room for adjustment than the PC version, while the Xbox version may rely on subscriptions to lower the cost of trying something new; but if the core content lacks originality, platform differences cannot save the experience. TheGamer criticizes this kind of remaster for lacking real value, and I do not think that judgment is too harsh. Rather than asking players to buy a more expensive new console just to run old games, it would be better for developers to truly get the most out of current-generation hardware.

Of course, this does not mean that PS6 and the next-generation Xbox have no appeal. TheGamer also frankly admits that even though it supports a delay, it would still choose to buy the new consoles once they are officially released. This mindset is very similar to that of multiplatform players facing a new handheld: they may say they are happy to wait, but when launch day actually comes, they still start looking into the launch lineup and performance. Still, from a buying-advice perspective, there is no need to be anxious over rumors at this stage. It makes more sense to wait and see Sony and Microsoft’s final pricing, launch titles, and whether they really deliver upgrades at the gameplay level. New consoles can arrive a little later—but they had better not come with nothing more than a more expensive bill.