Recently, Famitsu, a Japanese video game magazine, had the opportunity to speak with one of PlayStation’s executive producers. During the interview they talked about a wide range of topics, including the future of the company and the PS6.
Although there was no direct talk of Sony’s new console, they did drop several interesting questions. The person in charge of shedding some light on the subject was Hideaki Nishino, who is the supervisor of PlayStation’s business.
He is a fairly important man within the company, so these are not the words of just anyone. The talk was relaxed, although the name PlayStation 6 was not mentioned. Even so, Nishino offered interesting comments.
The future of PS5 and the launch of PS6
When the Famitsu journalist wanted to know what the future plans for PS5 were, Nishino said:
“We believe that the [life cycle] of the PS5 will be as long as the PS4. However, I don’t think it’s right to delay the launch of the next product that incorporates new technology because it will take a long time. The timing of the introduction of new hardware is tied to the timeframe in which technology evolves and the timeframe in which we can implement it. Therefore, I think it’s important to expand the game overall, by offering new things while at the same time allowing people to enjoy the things that are currently in use.”
This is an approximate translation from Japanese, as the interview was conducted in their native language. What we have been able to understand from his words is that the PS6 date remains the same. That is to say, it would normally arrive between 2027 and 2028, as we told you a few days ago.
It would be the term that best responded to PlayStation’s usual cycles when it comes to producing new consoles. In a way, although without specifying anything, it could have reinforced the idea that the wait will not be too long and that we will be able to talk about this new console in a while.
The following question was related to the lifespan of the current console. In other words, the editor wanted to know if it would be possible to use PS5 alongside this new hardware. Nishino’s answer was quite clear:
“For example, the automated production of the PS4 has been progressing for some time and the hardware quality is high. That’s why you can use it for a long time. Of course, the PS5 will be automatically produced from the beginning. From now on, we would like to expand our products by combining products that can be used for a long time with customers who use them for a long time and by introducing new technologies.”
It is logical to think that PS5 and PS6 will coexist for a long time. Even the PS4, one of the consoles with the largest community in the world, could remain in force. With this in mind, we can expect a rather friendly scenario for users of somewhat older consoles.
First of all, the release forecast. If we go by everything we know so far, 2027-2028 is the most likely timeframe for the launch of this new PS6. However, nothing is certain. On the one hand, Sony is aware that PS4 and PS5 have a very large community, so the jump between platforms will be progressive.
At least that’s what we understand. The transition process should be similar to the previous one, with games that can be enjoyed on both PS5 and PS6 until a definitive leap is made. Normally, it usually takes between one and three years to do this, so the PS5 should remain in force for quite some time.