Sony Is Getting Serious About The PS6, But Don’t Expect An Announcement Just Yet

With the PS5 entering its sixth year of active duty later this month, it looks like development on the yet-to-be-announced PS6 is picking up speed. During a briefing on its latest financial results, Sony said that research and development was proceeding smoothly on its "next-generation" platform.

"Looking ahead to the next fiscal year, we aim to continue to enhance user engagement and further strengthen monetization through the release of strong titles and the expansion of our service. We also intend to make solid progress in preparing for the next-generation platform," Sony CFO Lin Tao said (via VGC). Tao added that Sony will "attach great importance to a new platform and make the necessary investments for that," and an announcement will come "at an appropriate time in the future."

Sony has kept tight-lipped on what users can expect from its next console, which will likely be an all-digital device as the company moves away from physical media in 2028. Price is another major factor, as earlier this year, Sony said that it was working out how to deal with the global component shortage crisis driven by various global factors. In May, Sony president and CEO Hiroki Totoki said that the rising costs for vital components like RAM would have an impact on its PS6 plans. "We have not yet decided on at what timing we will launch the new console, or at what prices," Totoki said.

Analysts have predicted that the PS6 could sell for at least $1,000, which is looking likely. The PS5 Pro console saw its price hiked to $900 earlier this year, Valve's Steam Frame costs over $1,000, and one report says that the next-gen Xbox could cost as much as $1,800. With the ongoing memory shortage, Sony is expected to extend the lifecycle of the PS5, which is nearing lifetime sales of 100 million units.