Why is gaming becoming so expensive? The answer lies in AI

WWhen the PlayStation 5 launched almost five and a half years ago, it cost £449 in the UK. If you were to buy it today at the recommended retail price it would be £569.99 or £789.99 for the updated Pro model. Sony has just increased the price of its console by a further £90, the latest in a series of price increases. This is unprecedented: consoles always have been reduced over time in price (until they became retro collectibles – I recently saw someone asking £200 for an SNES on Vinted). So what’s going on?

Unfortunately, this is another case of artificial intelligence ruining things for everyone. AI data centers require lots and lots of computing power to be able to tell you lies whenever you Google something, and this has driven up demand and prices for RAM and storage. This is not the only reason for the rise in prices – the wars in Ukraine and Iran have caused global economic disruption and rampant inflation has affected the profits of many companies. But…