The PlayStation 6 or PS6 is almost certainly still a few years away. However, with a senior Sony exec stating that the PS5 will enter the “final phase of its life cycle” in the next few months, we’re already seeing an uptick in interest in the PS6.
Let’s get one thing straight right out of this door. We currently have no concrete information about the PS6. Sony has not officially announced the console and its release is not technically guaranteed. However, the continued success of the PS5 and the strength of the PlayStation brand overall mean that a successor system seems inevitable. It seems more of a when than an if.
Although Sony is still focused on the PS5 – and possibly preparing to launch the PS5 Pro – the PS6 rumor mill is already churning, so we’ve compiled all the early speculation surrounding Sony’s next PlayStation hardware below.
Speculation about the PS6 release date
For the last three generations, Sony has introduced a seven-year gap between consoles. The PS3 was launched in 2006, followed by the PS4 in 2013, which was replaced by the PS5 in 2020.
The last three PlayStation consoles all launched in November (in North America). This would lead to the logical assumption that the PS6 will launch in November 2027, but there is reason to believe that this generation could last a little longer than usual.
First of all, the crossover period between PS4 and PS5 was longer. Last year, some of the biggest games of 2023 were still releasing on both consoles, and if the rumored PS5 Pro does indeed launch in 2024, Sony may want its new version of the PS5 to stay in the spotlight for longer than a relatively short three years remains.
The above is all speculation based on historical trends, but we do have a little tidbit regarding the PS6 release date, courtesy of Microsoft. During the FTC’s case against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard documents submitted by Sony hinted that the Japanese tech giant doesn’t plan to release the “next generation PlayStation console” until sometime after 2027.
Microsoft appears to be on the same page in the same FTC case, the Xbox maker said “estimated start period” The next generation of consoles is 2028.
There’s always a chance that Sony or Microsoft will hesitate first and decide to release the next generation of gaming hardware sooner. However, at present we can reasonably assume (but not confirm) that the PS6 will not launch until 2027 at the earliest.
Possible PS6 specifications
Many gamers are already dreaming about the raw power of the PS6, and while we don’t have any concrete facts to discuss on the subject, we already have our first-ever PS6 specs leak, coming from a source with solid (but far from existent) Source comes from bulletproof) recording.
YouTuber Moore’s Law is Dead has claimed that he knows “with 100 percent certainty that Sony will continue its partnership with AMD to power the PS6 and PS5 Pro.” The tech enthusiast also speculated that the PS6 will support 4K gaming at 120 frames per second or 8K gaming at 60 frames per second.
Another YouTube creator, RedGamingTech, has also claimed to have heard from sources that Sony is sticking with AMD for its next console. The same source suggested that Sony is considering a move to a rival chipmaker like Nvidia, but is sticking with AMD for several reasons, including easier backwards compatibility and the strength of its existing partnership with the chipmaker.
These could potentially be juicers if accurate, and would suggest the PS6 will be quite powerful. However, the idea that the PS6 could offer 8K gaming at 60 frames per second seems a bit fanciful. For most games, the PS5 didn’t quite live up to its billing as a 4K, 60 frames per second device, so it’s unlikely the next PlayStation will make an even bigger leap forward.
PS6 games
Of course, since the PS6 console hasn’t been revealed yet, there are no confirmed PS6 games currently in development.
However, during a recent State of Play event, legendary developer and creator of the Metal Gear Solid series, Hideo Kojima, confirmed plans for “a next-generation action spy game,” announced under the working title Physint.
Kojima is already working on Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, due out on PS5 in 2025, as well as a horror game called OD in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios, so it’s very likely that Physint won’t show up again for some years.
There’s a distinct possibility that the PS6 is on the horizon when full development begins. Perhaps our very early look at Physint is actually the first announcement of a PS6 game.
Other games in development that may not be ready for prime time until the PS6 launches include The Witcher 4 (codenamed Polaris) and a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 (codenamed Orion), both from renowned Polish developer CD Projekt Red were created.
On our PS6 gaming wish list, the PS5 kicked off with a remake of FromSoftware’s cult classic Demon’s Souls. Perhaps the PS6 launch could be celebrated with a re-release of From’s other neglected masterpiece, Bloodborne.
