PlayStation 6 Gets Official Release Date Update From Sony

Sony has delivered an official update on the current status of its next-gen console, the PlayStation 6. We’ve known for some time now that Sony is working on a successor to the PlayStation 5, although a concrete release date and price have remained fairly elusive details. Now, however, we have a clearer idea of what’s going on with the upcoming hardware.

According to Sony, work on the next console generation is “progressing as scheduled”. CFO Lin Tao confirmed during Sony’s latest quarterly financial results (via VGC), that it plans to make “solid progress” towards the PlayStation 6 within the next fiscal year.

“Looking ahead to the next fiscal year, we aim to continue to enhance user engagement and further strengthen monetisation through the release of strong titles and the expansion of our service,” the full quote reads. “We also intend to make solid progress in preparing for the next-generation platform.”

Tao also touched on “investment in the new platform”, and noted Sony plans to “make the necessary investments” to make the PlayStation 6 a hit. “We have to support the soundness of our platform and think about how rationally we can invest in that platform. We will announce that at an appropriate time in the future.”

What this means for the PlayStation 6 release date is unclear at this stage, although it’s widely believed the console will arrive in 2028. One way or the other, then, the PlayStation 5 generation is officially winding down after what I think most gamers would agree was a relatively underwhelming run with too few games. Still, we got Astro Bot, and I’m forever grateful for that.

We also still don’t know how much the new console is going to cost, but given the fact the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have only gotten more expensive since releasing in 2020, I’m not holding my breath for an affordable machine.

Indeed, some of the most recent reports point towards the PlayStation 6 costing $1,000 or more. This is based on a new leak from hardware leaker KeplerL2, who initially claimed the PS6 would cost the consumer around $699.99, a subsidized cost based on now-antiquated production costs of $760.

KeplerL2 later revealed the cost to make a PS6 had risen massively to $960, a direct consequence of AI companies driving up the cost of components. In a NeoGAF forum just weeks ago, KeplerL2 said that the cost of “RAM + NAND alone is over $680.”

This, paired with earlier reporting from VGC that confirmed Sony doesn’t plan on “selling hardware at significant losses” means we’re going to be looking at a very expensive next generation of consoles.

If you’re a PlayStation gamer, how much are you willing to pay to get games like The Last Of Us Part 3 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 in . . . who knows how many years? Maybe start saving now.