The current PlayStation 5 is in the final stages of its lifespan, according to Sony’s senior vice president. And although the Japanese giant hasn’t officially confirmed the existence of a PlayStation 6, several sources suggest the project is underway. Among them, a Microsoft court document related to its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which mentions that Sony would lose access to Call of Duty once it launches the “next generation” of its console, tied to an agreement that runs until 2027. Therefore, there is speculation that its debut won’t come before that year, maintaining the seven-year cycle that characterized its predecessors. Now, let’s review what we know so far about the PS6:
Expected technical specifications for the PS6
NeoGaf reported that the PS6 chipset is already in the final design phase and ready for production, which, according to standard industry practice, would place the launch around 2027.
The rumor points to a Zen6 processor on a second-generation 3nm architecture, along with a GPU based on AMD’s new RDNA5 family. (Not Intel)
Meanwhile, reports from Technetbook place the SoC in pre-silicon validation, a stage that typically lasts two years before release, and GamingBible notes that games planned for the 2027 series, such as the canceled Blade Runner: Time to Leave, were already contemplating versions for this console.
In short, Sony’s machinery seems well-oiled for the upcoming Christmas season.
A new SSD with expanded capacity, perhaps greater than 2 TB, is also being considered to handle larger files and reduce loading times, a pending issue from previous generations.
Two systems?
Furthermore, data is circulating that points to two different systems-on-a-chip, fueling the theory of two consoles: one high-performance and one more affordable, or even a home version and a portable one.
In this sense, some suggest Sony’s return to the mobile segment, offering a complementary device capable of running PS5 games at lower resolutions, with a 15W SoC being manufactured using 3nm technology.
There is talk of 16GB of LPDDR5X memory, 20MB of cache, and support for ray tracing and AI-assisted upscaling.
The idea of a Vita-style hybrid with next-generation muscle sounds attractive, and even more so if leaks describing a UDNA GPU with integrated MI400 and RX9000 units are true.
Release Date and Starting Price
2027, possibly in November or December, fits with the timeframes PlayStation has accustomed us to. The former president of SIE commented in an interview that a 2028 release wouldn’t be unexpected given the slowdown in PS5 production in its early days, but he didn’t rule out a late 2027 release.
For now, the firmest reference remains the Activision licensing agreement, which expires that year.
As for cost, the PS5 Pro’s increase to $700 could serve as a barometer. Some analysts predict Sony will venture to a price higher than that for the PS6, although others believe it will maintain the price tag at around $600 for its base model, later adjusting the “Pro” tier or its equivalent.
In any case, it’s a good idea to start saving up because, unless something unexpected happens at the last minute, Christmas 2027 could bring Sony’s new console under the tree.