Xbox boss Asha Sharma has admitted that the ongoing memory shortage crisis will likely impact the price point of its next hardware iteration.
Xbox unveiled early details of its next console, currently known only by its codename, Project Helix, last month. VP, Next Generation, Jason Ronald, confirmed Helix will deliver “high performance and provide the ultimate player-first experience,” and is “partnering closely with AMD to define the next generation of rendering and simulation.”
Now, talking to Game File, Sharma reflected on the memory shortage and admitted that “memory costs will impact pricing, will impact availability.”
“All of these things are an equation. Memory costs will impact pricing, will impact availability,” she said. “As we think about being where the world plays, we will take that into consideration.
“So we’re not ready to share a launch timeline right now. The world’s pretty dynamic. My number one focus, though, is to focus on what’s in our control, build a great console to play great games, including your PC games.”
Sharma’s comment comes as the entire tech industry scrambles for memory as AI data centers from companies like Alphabet and OpenAI buy up huge reserves of memory chip production, leaving little for consumer electronics like consoles and PCs. Some have dubbed the crisis “RAMmageddon.” Sony is reportedly considering delaying the rollout of its next-generation console due to the ongoing memory shortage crisis.
Sharma recently discussed Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s ten-year vision for Xbox, emphasizing the firm’s commitment to driving Game Pass subscription revenues and investing in features for the firm’s next console, known as Project Helix.
