Overview
- Nex said the family motion-control Playground will cost $299 starting April 1, a $50 increase from the current $249.
- The company blamed six-month spikes in DDR memory and eMMC storage prices, which it linked to rapid AI datacenter buildouts that are soaking up supply.
- Play Pass, the system’s all-games subscription, will not get a price change as CEO David Lee apologized that the hike may make the device less affordable for some families.
- The camera-based console launched in 2023, went viral during holiday 2024, rose to $250 in 2025, and has sold about 1 million units.
- Shortages are pressuring the wider industry, with Valve reviewing Steam hardware pricing and warning of regional Steam Deck OLED gaps, Nintendo working to secure memory for Switch 2, and Bloomberg reporting Sony may delay its next PlayStation to 2028 or 2029.