Sony may have discreetly revealed the release window of the PlayStation 6 in documents shared to the CMA.
This information was found in a document the CMA recently released to the public, but dates back to October 28, 2022.
The document is called SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT OBSERVATIONS ON THE CMA’S ISSUES STATEMENT. Fittingly enough, the document also indicates a warning that it contains confidential business secrets, though of course whatever data is considered compromising has been redacted.
This document indicates Sony’s arguments against the Microsoft deal, to acquire Activision Blizzard King. In this section of the document, Sony argues that the ten year offer that Microsoft has offered Sony and make public has actually been “badly mischaracterized” by the prospective buyer.
On page 8 of the document, Sony shares this argument:
“Microsoft has offered to continue making Activision’s games available on PlayStation only until 2027 (Microsoft, para. 3.27). Likewise, in public comments just on October 26, Microsoft said that it plans to offer Call of Duty on PlayStation only “as long as that makes sense.” A period until 2027 – or some other (possibly shorter) time that Microsoft unilaterally determines “makes sense” to Microsoft – is badly inadequate. By the time SIE launched the next generation of its PlayStation console (which is likely to occur around [REDACTED]), it would have lost access to Call of Duty and other Activision titles, making it extremely vulnerable to consumer switching and subsequent degradation in its competitiveness. Even assuming that SIE had the ability and resources to develop a similarly successful franchise to Call of Duty, it would take many, many years and billions of dollars to create a challenger to Call of Duty – and the example of EA’s Battlefield shows that any such efforts would more than likely be unsuccessful.”
To sum, Sony’s argument is that Microsoft’s offer for Activision games only lasts until 2027, not ten years from now but only four. Sony then states that if this deal goes through, they will lose access to those Activision games, that includes Call of Duty, by the time they launch the PlayStation 6.
On one end, Sony is stating that Microsoft has not been completely honest to the public about the deal they say they have been offering Sony.
But now let’s talk about how this rumor came about, by understanding the logic of their statement. Sony’s statement suggests that the successor to the PlayStation 5, which is highly likely to be named the PlayStation 6, will be releasing at or after 2027.
That’s because they claim Microsoft’s deal for Activision games will end on 2027. In this scenario, if the PlayStation 6 releases anytime between the years 2023 to 2026, then they would still be within the window to receive Activision games.
This is not Sony saying for certain their PlayStation 6 will be out by 2027. In fact, given how pandemic, war, and global economic conditions, have staggered game development across all companies, Sony is incentivized to keep the PlayStation 5 relevant for a few more years. That way, those many upcoming games can still release on the console.
If they released the PlayStation 6 too early, it could harm those game studios, including their many third party partners, but also the ones they own. That’s because they would have to release their games on a console that’s already been replaced, or have to move development to the new console.
Frustratingly enough, of course, Sony already told the CMA and Microsoft what year they plan to release the PlayStation 6, and they redacted it in this public release. We don’t know what that date is at all, unless someone in the CMA or other regulators leaks this information.
Anyway, it may be too early to speculate on the matter. The PlayStation 5 console is only a little above two years old for now, and Sony won’t really have gotten the most out of the platform until five years in.
Even then, five years would be an early time to replace a console. The PlayStation 5 will likely have a full seven years before it gets supplanted by a PlayStation 6, but that doesn’t mean they are required to release it by 2027. It will depend on what makes sense for Sony’s business in the future.
