We're coming up to the time where Sony would typically reveal the next generation of the PlayStation. But if you're eagerly anticipating the PS6, I would make sure to breathe, because the corporation doesn't have any kind of launch window for the hardware yet.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Hiroki Totoki, the CEO of Sony, said there's no release date for the follow-up to the PlayStation 5. Generally speaking, consoles tend to have about seven years before another full iteration comes along. The PS5 launched in late 2020, thus the back half of next year, 2027, is where expectations lay.
However, it looks and sounds like Sony will be missing that window. Totoki doesn't go into great detail on why, but there are some obvious issues within the game and tech industries right now – he points to the current state of energy and chip supplies, for example, as well as trade wars, noting that "we need to take some action. Otherwise, we cannot survive in this landscape."
Demand is outstripping supply on parts necessary to build consoles, thanks largely to data centers and tech surrounding generative AI. It's difficult for any manufacturer to consistently keep its products moving right now, never mind launching a system on a global scale.
On top of that, things are unsteady within game development, to say the least. Most major publishers have undergone layoffs in recent memory, and lots of releases have been canceled or delayed. It's not a strong climate for putting out a new console and stretching those teams even further.
Similarly, I've got to imagine the launch of GTA 6 plays a factor. After a number of delays, it's out this November. Sony will definitely be expecting to shift a healthy amount of consoles for Christmas, and the potential of the PS6 may slow those down a little bit, encouraging those not in any rush to simply wait for the new, shiny platform.
The same is potentially true for a few other highly anticipated games, like Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Triple-A projects are still looking incredible and running great on the PS5 anyway, so what's the rush?
