EA Expects to See New Consoles in 5-6 Years

EA's Patrick Soderlund has told MCV that the publisher expects to see a new PlayStation and Xbox in around five-to-six years following the release of the PS4 and Xbox One over the last few weeks. 

Soderlund, who's executive vice-president of EA Studios, commented: 

"This console cycle [360/PS3] may have gone on a little bit longer than I would have wanted.

"At the same time, you have seen games like The Last of Us and GTA V at the end of a cycle which perhaps you would not have expected a few years ago. But a five, six year gap is what I expect going forward."

The Xbox 360 is now eight years old while the PlayStation 3 is seven meaning that if EA is correct; new consoles could be released as much as three years earlier this generation. 

Microsoft has previously said that the Xbox One will last "conservatively a decade" but this likely refers to how long the console will be supported rather than how it will be until the next system is launched. 

Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot has also said that he hopes "they [new consoles] will come more often" from now on as protracted cycles "damage" the industry by leading to slumping sales and fewer new IPs.