Cerny: PS4 to Match PS3’s Seven-Year Cycle

Even though the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360’s current run on the marketplace is one of the longest we’ve ever witnessed, don’t think of it as some sort of anomaly. With increased research and development costs, as well as the ability to update a console’s firmware whenever necessary, consumers can expect future gaming consoles to have a longer shelf life than what we've seen in the past. Mark Cerny, the system architect behind the PlayStation 4, understands what it takes to build something as high-tech as the latest Sony console, and that’s one of the main reasons it should last just as long as the PlayStation 3.

During a conversation that can be found in the latest issue of OPM UK, Cerny addressed the lifecycle of the PlayStation 4 and how he thinks it will compare to what we’ve seen from the current generation. Although it’s difficult to give anything too definitive at this time, Cerny thinks these windows of time will be analogous.    

“It looks pretty healthy to me. The PS4 cycle will be pretty much like the PS3 cycle,” he said.

As Cerny has said in the past, the PS3 was a “unifying” experience for the company. Quite a few company-wide changes needed to occur before something like the PS4 could be created, but now, he believes both the core and casual audiences will be satisfied with the hardware that will release this fall.

“The most important thing is that it’s the most powerful games console ever created,” he continued.