Insider Gaming seems to have information on Sony’s planned release window for the PlayStation 6.
In their own words:
“Insider Gaming understands that the next generation of the PlayStation, the PS6, is unlikely to release until at least 2028. This would put the current generation console release schedule in line with its predecessors.”
Insider Gaming has not specified if this is based on information they have acquired from their own sources or gleamed from other publicly known sources. But it is interesting that they seem confident with this prediction.
If they have not been told directly so by insiders from Sony, this may be the prevailing sentiment in the industry in general. That also informs third party game developers, in particular, in terms of their current and upcoming plans for future video game releases.
We recently covered new speculation on the PlayStation 6 as well. New rounds of speculation did emerge because of a document disclosed by the CMA.
In Sony’s written response to the CMA about the Microsoft-Activision deal, Sony has essentially disclosed that they will not be releasing the PlayStation until or after 2027. This was part of an argument they made that Microsoft was not guaranteeing Sony would get access for Call of Duty for the PlayStation 6 with their purported ten year deal.
This rumor is also attached to another rumor Insider Gaming addressed, that Sony is planning to release a PlayStation 5 Pro next year. If the rumor is true, the PlayStation 5 Pro could potentially extend the possibly longevity of the PlayStation 5 as a platform.
All of these, of course, may all be connected to a serious mitigating factor that affects not only Sony, but the industry at large.
The pandemic has staggered the progress of this particular generation of video game consoles. Many video game projects experienced difficult and delayed development. Hardware including the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch were adversely affected by temporary manufacturing stops, and on a bigger level, supply shortages for chips.
Nintendo Switch emerged as the big unlikely beneficiary of these conditions, seemingly because budget conscious consumers looking for home entertainment to replace their out of town vacations favored the more casual friendly Nintendo Switch. Apparently, the Xbox Series S also benefited from this situation but not the PlayStation 5 due to supply issues.
The pandemic remains but Sony’s supply issues for the PlayStation 5 seem to be over. On a certain level, Sony is incentivized to make up for lost time, and sell more units now as a consequence.
Will that mean delaying the PlayStation 6 to 2027, 2028, or even later than that? It’s something we will be watching play out in the coming years.
