Shawn Layden: ‘I Think We Have Enough Power in the Machine’
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden says Sony should build a $300 PS5 instead of a $1,200 PS6. He argues the current silicon and software already have enough power, while PS5 prices have climbed to $649 for the base model.
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden, the ex-president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, said in comments published November 9, 2026 that Sony should build a $300 PS5 rather than a $1,200 PS6. "I think we have enough power in the machine," he said.
Layden made the case on The Trophy Room podcast. He argued that a PS6 built on "more ray tracing and more teraflops" would miss what players want. Teraflops are a measure of a console's raw processing speed.
'Another PS5 for $300'
"The innovation needs to come not from making PS6 for $1,200. It's to make another PS5 for $300," Layden said. "Now, that would be true innovation."
He pointed to price history. This is the first platform he has seen that has gone up in price over time, he said, noting that a PS2 cost $99 at the end of its life.
Layden said he would be trying to get the cost of the PS5 down if he were in Sony's shoes. His advice: do what the company has never done and stop iterating the console. "Make it smaller, make it cheaper," he said, adding that "the silicon's fine, the OS is fine."
What a PS5 costs now
The PS5 launched almost exactly six years ago at $499 for the disc model and $399 for the Digital Edition. Buying direct from PlayStation today costs $649 for the base console and $599 for the Digital Edition. The PS5 Pro costs $899, which is $200 more than its reveal price.
Sony has blamed "continued pressures in the global economic landscape" for the increases. Console sales at Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are suffering, according to the report on Layden's remarks.
What is known about the PS6
Little is confirmed. In May, Sony said it was still deciding when its next console should launch. A February report said the company was weighing a delay to 2028 or even 2029, after earlier expectations of 2027.
One leaker has claimed that RAM and storage alone for the PS6 could cost as much as $680. An October patent suggests Sony may be exploring its own version of frame generation, a technique that creates extra frames to smooth gameplay.
Sony has not announced a PS6 price. Many players say they do not want to see the console announced until hardware prices come down.
