PlayStation 6: release date, models, prices, and everything we think we know so far

The recent leak about PlayStation 6 as a project at Sony and its tentative release date has unleashed rumors, calculations, and all sorts of glimpses into the near future. In this post, we have compiled everything that is known (or rather intuited) about Sony’s next console. Everything seems to indicate that hardware is far from dead, and these are the non-evidence we have so far.

When will PlayStation 6 be released?

Rumors point to 2028. None supports this information other than Microsoft. It is precisely Sony’s main competitor who has revealed the following information in the war in the Competition Markets Authority of the United Kingdom that both companies have been maintaining for several months due to the purchase of Activision:

“Microsoft has offered to continue to make Activision games available on PlayStation until 2027... which will be the time when SIE (Sony Interactive Entertainment) launches the next generation of its PlayStation console, which is expected to occur in [crossed out dates].”

The crossed-out year would be 2028, and it makes sense because the PS5 would have lasted seven years, which is the approximate time it takes Sony and Microsoft to refresh their consoles: Sony released the PS1 in 1994, the PS2 in 2000, the PS3 in 2006, the PS4 in 2013, and the PS5 in 2020. Microsoft released the Xbox in 2001, the Xbox 360 in 2005, the Xbox One in 2013, and the Xbox Series S/X in 2020. In addition, Sony posted a job opening in 2021 for the development of a new console for Sony’s Tokyo and San Mateo offices to “research and prototype cutting-edge technologies and ways to apply them to our platform and services.”

What about cloud gaming?

This was the bet of the future, and there was even talk at the time that the PS4 and Xbox X/S might be the last physical consoles we’d see. However, while Xbox’s progress with Game Pass in the cloud is promising —it was Microsoft that took the first step forward— they have had no choice but to backtrack and admit that the time is not yet right. The failure of Stadia hasn’t helped matters either, so all signs point to at least one more generation of physical consoles.

How much will it cost?

This is one of the best-kept secrets of any new project, and nothing is known for sure, as nothing can be estimated until there are details on the technical characteristics of the hardware. What can be said with some certainty is that, given the price escalation that consoles have always experienced in their successive incarnations, barring an unforeseen turnaround and a change in the rules of the game, the price of PlayStation 6 will be like or higher than that of PlayStation 5, around $500.

What technical features will it have?

At this point, any bet is just that: a bet on the future. But it is worth making a few guesses based on the evolution of consoles so far:

• Storage improvements: the big leap this generation of consoles has made, above all other technical considerations, improving loading times and access to games. Sony’s new console will certainly move in this direction, and what about a removable hard drive that is easier to swap out than the current one?
• A firm commitment to wireless: of course, current consoles already connect to the Internet wirelessly, but it would be great to charge devices without having to plug them in, with a charging area on the top of the console for controllers, headsets, and other devices, freeing up space for ports.
• Full backward compatibility: while Sony is not exactly a leader when it comes to simple implementation of its technological advances, the fact is that with its new PS Plus, it has shown that backward compatibility is possible (even if they do not manage it most attractively). The ideal: a console on which you can play titles from previous PlayStation generations, contrasting with another point that is practically guaranteed, which is…
• The console will be discless: the PS5 and Xbox Series S digital editions have proven that consoles can survive without a disc drive. Plastic collectors may argue, but if this generation has proven anything, it is that Game Pass-type platforms can become a widespread method of gaming, now that the speed of internet connections guarantees reliable performance.
• More discreet appearance: both PlayStation 5 and Xbox X Series have shown us that high technical power entails disproportionate size, but the truth is that their oversized dimensions have been among the most criticized aspects of both. Sony may make an extra effort to reduce the size of its hardware.
• Leveraging PlayStation’s online infrastructure: in other words, the expected push for a Game Pass-like platform that PlayStation has been working on since June 2022 with the relaunch of PlayStation Plus.
• Compatibility with PlayStation VR2: that is, without the need for adapters or additional hardware.