PlayStation 5 debuted just two years ago, yet Sony apparently may already be developing a successor to the platform. A clue was found in an official paper concerning Microsoft’s proposal to the Japanese corporation.
This document concerned a proposed deal between Microsoft and Sony, and analyst Piers Harding-Rolls pointed out a specific passage.
Under the agreement, Activision games would appear on PlayStation only until 2027, while Call of Duty would appear “as long as it makes sense.” However, Sony considers this to be a very vague term and fears that after 2027 it would also lose access to the shooter series.
Though the information about a potential release date for the console falls in the submitted scan, it’ censored. The expert suggests, though, that as the manufacturer is indicating this specific date, the PS6 may be scheduled to go on sale in 2028.
Thus, the implication is that Sony rejected the offer because it feared a significant outflow of users just before the launch of the next generation of hardware.
Sony referred to a next generation of PlayStation console in its CMA response, with the suggested year of release being redacted
This was in a passage where it was referring to losing access to CoD after 2027, with higher potential for platform switching
PlayStation 6 in 2028? pic.twitter.com/f7govC8R7A
— Piers Harding-Rolls (@PiersHR) November 23, 2022
The permissible date also agrees with a typical console’s “lifespan” – around seven years. Though in the case of the PS5 (which debuted in 2020) such predictions would point more to 2027. However, given the “slow” launch of the current generation, analyst added one year to his calculations.
It’ also possible, too, Sony will support the current platform a little longer, particularly since we still lived to see enhanced “Pro” console versions in the last generation.
Thus, we can assume that we will see a new version of the hardware only in a few years, according to the trend so far.
