The PlayStation 6 may be delayed until after 2028, as Sony is said to want the PS5 to have a longer life cycle. This means the PS5 will last at least eight years before the next-generation PlayStation console arrives. Since the PS3, Sony has typically launched a new generation of consoles every seven years.
David Gibson, a senior analyst at MST Financial, claimed that Sony may delay the launch of the PS6. In a Japan-focused gaming industry report released earlier this month, Gibson shared insights into Sony’s expected quarterly financial results and PlayStation lifecycle.
Gibson noted that Sony is considering extending the life cycle of the PS5 and that the PS6 may be released later than expected.
The analyst said in the report: “The release of PS6 will most likely be after 2028.” (via IGN).
PS5 life cycle may be extended
If the PS6 is launched in 2029, the PS5’s life cycle will be extended by at least a year. PS5 was launched in November 2020 and soon celebrated its sixth birthday. Since the launch of PS3 in November 2006, Sony has released a new generation of home game consoles every seven years – PS4 in November 2013 and PS5 in November 2020.
The PS6 is widely rumored to launch in late 2027, based on the company’s traditional release cadence and some leaks. However, rising memory and GPU prices and other market factors have led some in the industry to believe that the release of next-generation consoles may be delayed.
Gibson also claimed in the report that Sony’s fiscal 2025 Q3 earnings are expected to exceed market expectations, and sales of first-party and third-party games will drive growth. The company’s third-quarter sales and operating profit are expected to be 1.8 trillion yen and 160 billion yen respectively. “Strong sales of Sony and third-party game software are believed to have supported third-quarter results,” Gibson said.
Sony will hold its fiscal 2025 third quarter earnings conference call on February 5, 2026.
PS6 and next-gen Xbox
This isn’t the first time there has been news about a PS6 release delay. Last December, Insider Gaming reported that both Sony and Microsoft were considering delaying the release of the PS6 and next-generation Xbox due to continued increases in RAM prices and shortages.
The rapid expansion of AI data centers has led to a surge in memory demand, causing the global consumer hardware market to face a severe shortage of RAM. Therefore, the price of RAM increased many times amid reduced supply.
Earlier leakers put PS6 and next-gen Xbox release dates at 2027. Reliable leaker KeplerL2 claimed in October that Sony planned to release the PS6 in 2027 “barring any unexpected delays.”
Separately, Moore’s Law Is Dead, a YouTube channel known for leaking gaming hardware news, claimed that the next-generation Xbox (believed to be a PC/console hybrid) is “targeted for release in 2027.”
Neither Sony nor Microsoft have confirmed their respective plans for next-generation consoles.
