PS6 release date may be pushed back, as Sony says PS5 is now ‘in the middle’ of its lifecycle
Sony has changed its tune on the PS5
Sony previously suggested the PS5 was entering the “latter half” of its lifecycle, anticipating a sales decline starting in the next fiscal year (2025)
Following strong sales, Sony CFO Lin Tao now states the PS5 is only “in the middle of the journey,” suggesting a longer lifecycle
This new optimistic view implies the PS6 release date, previously tipped for 2027, may be pushed back
The PS5’s continued success and lack of significant direct pressure from Microsoft’s competing hardware give Sony more time before launching a successor
The PS5’s life expectancy may have been prematurely cut short by Sony, as the Japanese company has reversed its stance on where the console is in its lifecycle.
At the start of the year, Sony president COO 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.”
However, on the back of reaching 84.2 million sales, Sony CFO Lin Tao has now said: “Our view is that compared to conventional console lifecycles. Looking at the PS4 lifecycle it seems to be getting longer and longer. Especially the PS4, which was launched in 2013 and it’s been over a decade since then, but there are many active users enjoying the console...
“So from that perspective we believe that the PS5 is only in the middle of the journey and we are really planning to expand it even further.”
Sony is clearly more optimistic about the PS5’s future, as “middle of the journey” differs from the previous message of “latter half of the console cycle”. Totoki’s comments suggested we’d see the PS6 sooner rather than later, with a release date tipped for 2027.
However, Tao’s statement may suggest that Sony is willing to stick with the PS5 as its main console a little longer, especially as the PS5 has become the most profitable generation in PlayStation history. A PS5 price increase also hasn’t impacted sales.
The lack of pressure from Microsoft, which didn’t launch a PS5 Pro console of its own, also gives Sony more time to prepare its next console. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is unlikely to have worried Sony too much either, due to its $1,000 price point and PC-like nature.
Sony also has new hardware in the pipeline. Its Flexstrike PS5 fight stick is out next year, and it’s also launching the PlayStation Pulse Elevate speakers. Expect the PS5 to be around for a good few years yet then.
Up next: PlayStation Portal sales soar as cloud gaming update injects new life into Sony’s handheld
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.