With the PlayStation 5 looking like it'll be the first Sony console to end up dearer to buy at the end of its lifecycle than it was at the start, there aren't high hopes for the PlayStation 6 being an affordable gaming rig. It's believed that while there is the possibility of the console costing "only" $699, Sony may not bother trying to make the console's cost as low as possible, considering the lack of competition it finds these days.
According to leaker KeplerL2 (via Wccftech), the cost of all components for the PlayStation 6 draws somewhere near the $750 mark. Therefore, with a significant subsidy Sony could still sell the PS6 for $699 theoretically. "The question is if Sony will even bother now that Xbox is not direct competition anymore," KeplerL2 writes.
Project Helix is expected to aim for a different market, as Xbox's next console looks to combine PC gaming with boosted performance, it's likely going to be very expensive, and more for real gaming enthusiasts than people who just want a machine to play on. Therefore, this may be the first generation in a long time where Sony has free reign, pretty much.
Last week, Sony announced a price hike to the PlayStation 5 line-up. With RAM prices still being high, and the cost of other components surging too, it's possible the situation globally may not have calmed down by the time the PS6 is ready to be revealed and priced.