Sony’s CEO Hiroki Totoki addressed the PlayStation 6 directly during yesterday’s earnings call — and the answer was essentially: we don’t know yet.
“We have not yet decided on at what timing we will launch the new console, or at what prices,” Totoki told investors. The reason is straightforward: memory costs. Sony expects RAM prices to remain elevated through fiscal year 2027, which complicates both the hardware budget and the launch window calculus. “We must think carefully about what we will do,” Totoki said.
Beyond timing, Sony is also looking at rethinking how it sells the console altogether. Totoki mentioned exploring “changing business models” as a potential path to managing costs — which has fueled speculation about everything from a subscription-based hardware model to a PlayStation handheld launching alongside the PS6. No specifics were given.
Reports had previously pointed to a 2027 launch window, in line with Sony’s typical seven-year console cycle. That now looks uncertain. Bloomberg cited sources earlier this year suggesting Sony is weighing a 2028 or 2029 debut if component costs don’t ease.
The PS5, meanwhile, has shipped 93.7 million units and continues to perform. Sony has no obvious urgency to rush the next generation — though Microsoft is still reportedly targeting a late 2027 window for Project Helix, its next-gen Xbox console. If that holds, Sony could find itself in the unfamiliar position of ceding the next-gen launch window to a competitor.
For now, the PS6 remains unannounced and undated. Totoki’s comments confirm it’s in development, but everything else is still being figured out.