It’s been quite a strange year for video game consoles, and for gaming in general. The Nintendo Switch 2 finally arrived, ushering in a new console era for Nintendo years after Sony and Microsoft’s latest installments. But older consoles, including the OG Switch, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, have also gotten unprecedented price increases this year. Nothing feels certain for gaming consoles at the moment. And yet, many gamers are expecting to see the next generation of consoles make its way onto the scene in the near future. In fact, we might even be able to predict when the PS6 will release.
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What we officially know about Sony’s next console is pretty scarce. Prior reports have hinted that Sony is most likely already working on the PS6, and longstanding gaming trends suggest a PS5 successor will eventually emerge. Some developers, including Hideo Kojima, have even claimed to be developing games with the PS6 in mind. But when might we actually see the PS6 hit the market? Thanks to a few key details, we can probably hone in on a late 2027 release for Sony’s next console.
Sony’s History Suggests a 7-Year Console Cycle
Though Sony has yet to confirm a timeline for its PS6 release, we can look at the company’s history for some clues. The gaming company has long followed a roughly 7-year cycle for releasing new consoles. The PS2 took 8 years to follow up on the original PlayStation. Then, the PS3 arrived 6 years after the PS2. However, since then, each new iteration has taken pretty much exactly 7 years to release. The PS4 arrived in 2013, 7 years into the PS3’s life cycle. Similarly, the PS5’s 2020 release followed this pattern.
Taking this under consideration, a 2027 release date for the PS6 would certainly make a lot of sense. From its last three console releases, it looks like Sony has settled on a 7-year cycle for ushering in a new generation. This lends more credibility to rumors of a fall 2027 PS6 release date, which emerged earlier this year. This intel is based on a document from within Sony, which allegedly points to the company’s plans for a holiday launch for the new console.
Of course, the landscape now looks quite different than it did when the PS5 released. With older consoles going up in price, it’s hard to predict how gaming companies may adjust their plans for the next generation. However, recent developments from Sony suggest that we can probably reasonably expect a 2027 window for the PS5, until proven otherwise.
PS4 Service Shutdown in 2026 Follows PS3 Trend
About a year before the PS5 released in 2020, Sony ended full support for the PS3. Given this precedent, a recent report regarding the future of the PS4 could further solidify a 2027 release window for the PS6. According to a recent report from Insider Gaming, Sony will be sunsetting several legacy PSN features for the PS4 beginning in Spring 2026. While the listed features don’t necessarily mark a full end of support, they do suggest that Sony will begin the process of phasing out PS4 support in 2026.
Given that Sony ended support for the PS3 right around a year ahead of the PS5’s release, this intel is good news for those hoping to see the PS6 in 2027. If the PS4 winds down a year ahead of the PS6, this 2026 timeline adds another bit of evidence to the theory that the next-gen Sony console is coming in 2027. This, alongside the general 7-year cycle that Sony has followed in recent years, makes it all the more likely we’re about two years out from the PS6.
For now, this prediction is based on trends and what scarce information we do have about Sony’s plans. Nothing official has been confirmed about the release window for the PS6. However, the evidence is certainly starting to mount for a release date in the next few years. With the PS5 and other current-gen consoles only getting more expensive, it will be interesting to see how this shakes out. While Sony might be ready to release its next console, it’s unclear how many consumers will be ready to buy it when it arrives.
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