In an unexpected blow to the gaming industry, both PlayStation and Xbox have suffered significant losses in console sales during May. The primary culprit? A steep price increase on consoles, with Sony raising the cost of PS5 consoles to $649.99 for the standard model, $599.99 for the Digital Edition, and an eye-watering $899.99 for the Pro version. This price surge appears to have caused a 58% drop in unit sales for the PS5, marking the lowest May total since 2000. On the other hand, Xbox Series hardware spending grew a modest 7%, but unit sales still fell by 12%. The average price paid for a new video game console reached an all-time high of $502 in May, up 14% compared to last year. With Microsoft announcing another Xbox Series price rise set for August, it remains to be seen if the September sales will rebound, given the current downward trend. This pricing crisis stems from a global memory shortage and price surge, known as the "RAMpocalypse," caused by semiconductor manufacturers shifting their production capacity towards high-margin hardware for AI data centers. As hardware manufacturers grapple with this components crisis, console prices continue to climb, bucking the traditional trend of decreasing costs over a generation's lifespan. The future of affordable console gaming remains uncertain, with no end in sight to the price increases. Keep your fingers crossed for 2028!