The launch of the PS6 is highly anticipated, despite it only being just shy of four years since the launch of the PS5. But just like most consoles, it's likely that Sony is looking ahead to the successor already.
We're unlikely to see another new, mainline PlayStation console for a few years yet, but that doesn't mean we can't fantasize about what we would like to see from the PS6 - or predict when we're likely to get our hands on it. After all, we know that Sony is already thinking about the future, having trademarked the PS6, PS7, PS8, PS9 and PS10 names.
In the meantime, Sony has released the PS5 Slim and has just shown off the PS5 Pro, which offers a larger GPU, advanced Ray-Tracing as well as AI-Driven Upscaling. This mid-generation refresh comes later this year, costs $699, and could offer some players a way to tide themselves over until the next mainline console.
- Most likely to launch sometime during 2027 or beyond
- Price could be upwards of $600 / £600
- PS6 name has already been trademarked, as well as future generations
- We think PS6 should focus on upgrades like true 4K 60fps, better storage and a more diverse software line-up at launch
PS6
So, while we're still enjoying the PS5 and the best PS5 games, we've gathered up everything we want to see from the PS6 and when we expect to get our hands on the next PlayStation.
PS6 release date speculation: when do we expect it to launch?
The PS6 is likely to be a long way off. The PS5 released in November 2020, so it's unlikely Sony will consider releasing a brand new PlayStation for several years. Typically PlayStation consoles launch around six or seven years apart, with the PS4 arriving in 2013 and the PS5 following up in 2020.
In an interview with Game Informer, Sony's Executive VP of Hardware Engineering Masayasu Ito confirmed that the PS5 life cycle is expected to last about six or seven years, meaning we won't see the PS6 until at least 2026.
"Indeed, in the past, the cycle for a new platform was seven to 10 years, but in view of the very rapid development and evolution of technology, it's really a six to seven-year platform cycle," Masayasu said.
"Then we cannot fully catch up with the rapid development of the technology, therefore our thinking is that as far as a platform is concerned for the PS5, it’s a cycle of maybe six to seven years. But doing that, a platform lifecycle, we should be able to change the hardware itself and try to incorporate advancements in technology. That was the thinking behind it, and the test case of that thinking was the PS4 Pro that launched in the midway of the PS4 launch cycle."
Now, we have details on the PS5 Pro, the mid-generation update that'll precede the next proper installment. It's $699, and arrives November 7, 2024.
PS6 price: how much will it cost?
Of course, we won't know how much the PS6 will cost until Sony reveals official details in the far future. But we can make some educated guesses right now.
Let's first look at the price of the PS5, Sony's current-generation console; particularly the PS5 Slim which has become the new standard. It's $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.95 for the physical version which includes a detachable disc drive. There's also a digital-only model sans the drive for $449.99 / £389.99 / AU$679.95. That's a fair markup from the PS4's launch price back in 2013, which was $399.99 / £349.99.
We think this trend is set to continue in line with inflation and growing costs for game development. As a result, we wouldn't be surprised to see the PS6 retail somewhere within that $600 / £600 area at launch. You might want to start saving now.
Looking at the recently revealed PS5 Pro, however, Sony is pricing it at $699 / £699. This is a substantial increase when compared to the base model, though it doesn't give us much information on what a proper successor could be priced at. We are slightly concerned though, as this price point would be a dangerous precedent to start for home consoles.
PS6: what we want to see
"The gaps between console releases get larger and larger with each passing generation. But on average, we tend to go six or seven years between each iteration. I fully expect this to be the case with the PS6, which I anticipate won't launch until 2027 at the very earliest. Though given the ballooning nature of video game budgets and development cycles, I have to wonder if PlayStation Studios won't have a solid PS6 launch line-up ready until 2028 or beyond.
"And a strong launch line-up is a must for PlayStation 6. PS5 did have a better roster than its predecessor, with exclusives like Demon's Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and the pack-in Astro's Playroom providing plenty to play on day one. That said, I think Sony should really look to diversify its line-up for PS6, reintroducing some classic franchises like Sly Cooper, Twisted Metal and Jak and Daxter to really shake up that launch palette and get older Sony heads on board with the new machine.
"In terms of graphical prowess, we're already hitting diminishing returns with the leap in quality between PS4 and PS5 arguably being the smallest yet. As a result, I think Sony should focus on further refining what it has now. Swapping over to an SSD was one of the best changes the PS5 made. And for PS6, I'd like to see the system push for a cleaner 4K at higher framerates and potentially get game file sizes under control. We've steadily gotten used to games taking up 100-150GB worth of storage space; I wouldn't want to see 200GB and above become the norm especially for folks who can't afford lightning-fast internet."
-Rhys Wood, Hardware Editor, TechRadar Gaming
PS6: Latest rumors
New PS6 report claims AMD will be designing the console's chip
Reuters reported in September 2024 that AMD allegedly won out against Intel with Sony to provide the chips or components for the PS6 back in 2022. This would mean the AMD-Sony relationship continues from the PS5, and that apparently backwards compatibility was a big factor, and AMD's work on the PS5 may have made that the deciding factor.
The PS6 and Xbox Series X successor will launch in 2028 according to Microsoft
This rumor goes back a fair bit (2023) but has its basis in Microsoft's legal battles over the past year as it tried to acquire Blizzard Activision. Court documents shown in the trial back then reveal that Microsoft thinks the "expected starting point" for next-gen consoles will be 2028. This would fit into what we've come to expect from console generations and would mean the PS6 would come eight years after the PS5's release.
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