How Much Does It Cost To Make a PS5?

Sony’s PlayStation 5 is a powerful console that provides an unparalleled current-generation gaming experience. Its exclusive game library uses the console's lightning-fast SSD, HDR, and 4K compatibility. 

However, the PS5 has acquired some notoriety even with its exciting features. This can be due to the console's limited supply, high demand, and steep price, leaving many wondering what makes PS5 so expensive. 

In this article, we delve into how much it costs to make a PS5 and if you can build your own.

Total Cost to Make A PS5

Sony is the top-grossing company based on video gaming revenue in 2022, with a 13% share of $521.6 billion in revenue in 2022. Despite being arguably the biggest player in video gaming, Sony has faced challenges in its efforts to release the PlayStation 5.

Bloomberg reports that Sony struggled to acquire "expensive parts" due to increased demand for memory components, which could result in a $500 price increase for the PlayStation 5.

Manufacturing a gaming console like the PS5 can vary based on several factors, including:  

• Cost of components
• Manufacturing expenses
• Other business considerations

Building a standard PS5, which includes a 4K Blu-ray drive, can cost up to $499, while the PS5 Digital Edition without a disk costs $399.

Although Sony does not reveal the exact cost breakdown of the components used in the PlayStation 5, here’s what we found out:

Component #1: Storage - Solid State Drive (SSD)

Sony PS5 requires an M.2 SSD storage for NVMe protocol communication. You’ll also need a PCIe 4.0 x4 model with a sequential read throughput of up to 5,500 MBps. The console supports storage capacities, including:

• 250GB
• 500GB
• 1TB
• 2TB
• 4TB

An SSD for a PS5 can cost around $150 to $250 per unit, making it one of the most expensive individual components of the entire console.

Component #2: Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The PlayStation 5 is propelled by an AMD Zen 2 processor with eight cores operating at variable frequencies, with a maximum clock speed of 3.5GHz. GPU is also an AMD custom unit with a maximal performance of 10.28 teraflops at 2.23GHz. 

A comparable microprocessor, like the Ryzen 5 4500,  can be purchased at almost $130.

Component #3: Graphic Processing Unit (GPU)

The GPU of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) is custom-designed and utilizes AMD's RDNA 2 architecture. Unfortunately, this GPU cannot be purchased separately, so the next best option would be the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which can cost between $330 - $700.

Component #4: Random Access Memory (RAM)

RAM plays a crucial role in the gaming experience by providing fast and temporary storage for data the console's processor needs to access quickly.  

The PlayStation 5 boasts 16GB of GDDR6 RAM. This ram features a high bandwidth interface that supports: 

• graphics cards
• game consoles
• high-performance computing.

A comparable RAM can cost more than 80$. Ultimately, the significant components of PS5 alone can cost between $600 and $1000.

Now that you already know the major components and its price, you might wonder if it’s possible to build your PS5. Continue reading the next section to find out.

Building Your PS5 - Is It Possible?

Putting together your own PlayStation 5 is possible, but it will be challenging and impractical. Building the console involves assembling various components, which can be complex and require an understanding of electronics and computer engineering. 

Matthew Perks, who has a youtube channel named DIY Perks' used a slimmer version to construct a PlayStation system. He took apart a regular PlayStation 5 and swapped all the bulky parts for more compact versions. 

Despite encountering issues that required time to resolve, he made the console functional. His setup was even more successful than the standard PS5's cooling based on the temps he measured when testing it with Horizon: Forbidden West. 

Unfortunately, Perks' PS5 Slim is unique and difficult to imitate. 

Bottom Line

With state-of-the-art features like 4K compatibility, a variable refresh rate, and an SSD that installs games in seconds, the PlayStation 5 is one of the most influential game consoles available.

Although it can be enticing to build your own PS5, buying one would be more practical, considering the cost and effort it takes.