PS6 could release in 2027, as PS5 enters the 'latter half' of its life cycle
Sony could release a PS6 in the next three years as PS5 sales begin to dwindle
Sony might release the PS6 as soon as 2027 now that the PlayStation 5 has entered the “latter half” of its life cycle.
Even though the PS5 has only been on sale for just over three years (it launched on November 19, 2020) Sony has conceded that PlayStation 5 sales have slowed, suggesting a PS6 and the PS5 Pro may release sooner than some may have expected.
Speaking at the company’s financial results, Sony president COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki said: “Regarding PS5 hardware, which will enter its fifth year since launch [in 2025]. Partially due to entering the latter half of the console cycle, we’re aiming to optimize sales with a greater emphasis on balance with profits. So we expect a gradual decline in unit sales from next fiscal year onwards.”
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: PS6 release date
📆 The PS6 could released in 2027
🧓 Sony has said the PS5 has entered the latter stage of its lifecycle
👑 The PS5 came out six years after the PS4 released
⌛ If a PlayStation 6 does come out in November 2027, the PS5 will have been on sale for seven years
The PS4 was out for six years before the PS5 was introduced, while the PS3 lasted seven years before it was eventually usurped. A PS6 release date of 2027 wouldn’t be too surprising, then, but this generation has felt like it’s just getting started, partly due to the PS5 restock issues that COVID-19 created. Sony announced that the PS5 stock shortage had finally ended in January last year.
Sony also admitted that no “existing major franchise titles” for PS5 will be released until after April 2025. If a PS6 is released two years later, Sony may be preparing a compelling lineup of exclusive games for its next console to help the PlayStation 6 get off to a flying start.
It could also round out the PS5’s lifecycle with some marquee releases, and then offer a PS6 upgrade, similar to what Sony has done during this generation.
Whether or not the appetite for a PS6 is here right now won’t worry Sony. Technology moves at a rapid pace, and a new console will likely include some unique features to justify its existence that hopefully isn’t just “shinier graphics”.