Is Sony already thinking about the PS6? Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Hideaki Nishino isn't giving away any details, but the company is well aware that "there's a huge interest in our next-generation console strategy."
During a recent Fireside Chat, a question is raised by Justin Hill, senior vice president of finance and investor relations at Sony Corporation of America, that "with cloud gaming more of a viable option than ever before, do we need a next-generation console? Is SIE developing one?"
SIE president and CEO Nishino calls this a "great question," saying the company has been "really proud of the quality we have been delivering" when it comes to cloud gaming over the last 11 years. "From a technical standpoint," he says that the technology is "progressing well," but points out that "end-to-end network stability is not in our control," and calls "higher cost per playtime compared to the traditional console model" a "challenge" compared to the "traditional console model."
He then goes on to describe cloud gaming as "an additional option for players to access content," before saying: "Our belief is that the majority of players continue to want to play [and] experience gaming through a local execution without dependency on network conditions. And PS5 and PS5 Pro have validated this thesis, I believe."
Noting that Sony has "a large ecosystem of highly engaged players" across PS5 and the previous-gen console, PS4, Nishino says that "there's a huge interest in our next-generation console strategy.
"While we cannot share further details at this stage, the future of the platform is top of mind. We are committed to exploring a new and enhanced way for players to engage with our content and services."
So, he's not giving anything away right now, but just in case there was any doubt, it certainly sounds like there's no plan to ditch a traditional console in favor of a cloud gaming device, at least at this stage.
The PS5 turns five years old this November, having been released seven years after the PS4. With that in mind, it seems pretty likely we still have a bit of a wait ahead of us to see what Sony is working on next, but we'll just have to watch this space.
While you're here, be sure to check out our roundup of the best PS5 games, as well as upcoming PS5 games to look out for in the future.
