PS6 — release date speculation and early rumors (2024)

PlayStation 6, or the PS6, is almost certainly still several years away. However, with a senior Sony executive stating the PS5 is set to enter the “latter stage of its life cycle” over the next few months, we’re already seeing an uptick in PS6 interest.

Right out of that gate, let’s make one thing very clear. As it stands, we have precisely zero firm details about the PS6. Sony has not officially announced the console and its release is not technically guaranteed. However, the PS5’s continued success, alongside the strength of the PlayStation brand overall, means that a successor system appears to be an inevitability. It seems to be a when, rather than an if.

Even though Sony is still focusing on the PS5 — and is potentially gearing up for the launch of the PS5 Pro — the PS6 rumor mill is already churning, so we’ve gathered up all the early speculation surrounding Sony’s next PlayStation hardware below.

PS6 release date speculation

Over the last three generations, Sony has adopted a seven-year gap between consoles. The PS3 launched in 2006, followed by the PS4 in 2013, which was succeeded by the PS5 in 2020.

The last three PlayStation consoles all launched in November (in North America). This would lead to the logical assumption that the PS6 will land in November 2027, but there’s reason to believe this generation could last a little longer than usual.

For starters, the crossover period between the PS4 and PS5 has been longer. Last year, several of the biggest games of 2023 were still launching across both consoles and if the rumored PS5 Pro does indeed surface in 2024, Sony may want its new version of the PS5 to have more than a relatively short three years in the spotlight.

The above is all speculation based on historic trends, but we do have one small tidbit regarding the PS6 release date that came about courtesy of Microsoft. During the FTC’s case against Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, documents submitted by Sony hinted that the Japanese tech giant doesn’t plan to release “the next generation of PlayStation console” until sometime after 2027.

Microsoft would appear to be on the same page, during the same FTC case, the Xbox maker said the “expected starting period” of the next-gen of consoles is 2028.

There’s always a possibility that Sony or Microsoft blinks first and decides to kickstart the next generation of gaming hardware sooner. But for now, we can reasonably assume (but not confirm) that the PS6 will not arrive until 2027 at the very earliest.

PS6 potential specs

Many gamers are already dreaming about the raw power of the PS6, and again, while we have no solid facts to discuss on the matter, we do already have our very first PS6 spec leak that comes from a source with a solid (but far from bulletproof) record.

YouTuber Moore’s Law is Dead has claimed to know " with 100% certainty that Sony will continue its partnership with AMD to power the PS6 and PS5 Pro.” The tech enthusiast also speculated that the PS6 could be capable of 4K gaming at 120fps or 8K gaming at 60fps.

Another YouTube creator, RedGamingTech, has also claimed to have heard from sources that Sony is sticking with AMD for its next console. The same source suggested that Sony considered a switch to a rival chip vendor, such as Nvidia, but is sticking with AMD for several reasons including easier backwards compatibility and because of the strength of its existing partnership with the chip manufacturer.

These could be potentially juice scoops if accurate and would suggest the PS6 will be pretty powerful. Although, the idea of the PS6 being able to offer 8K gaming at 60fps seems a little fanciful. The PS5 hasn’t quite lived up to its billing as 4K at 60fps machine for the majority of games, so it seems unlikely the next PlayStation will take an even bigger leap forward.

PS6 games

Naturally, as the PS6 console hasn’t been revealed, there are no confirmed PS6 games in development right now.

However, during a recent State of Play event, legendary developer and creator of the Metal Gear Solid series, Hideo Kojima confirmed plans for “a next generation action espionage game” announced under the working title Physint.

Kojima is already working on Death Stranding 2: On the Beach which is set to debut on PS5 in 2025, as well as a horror game called OD in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios, so it’s highly likely that Physint won’t surface again for several years.

There is a definite possibility that by the time it enters full development, the PS6 will be on the horizon. Perhaps, our very early glimpse at Physint is actually the first announcement of a PS6 game.

Other in-development games that may not be ready for prime time until the PS6 is on the scene include The Witcher 4 (codenamed Polaris) and a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 (codenamed Orion) both being created by acclaimed Polish developer CD Projekt Red.

As for our PS6 games wishlist, the PS5 launched with a remake of FromSoftware’s cult classic Demon’s Souls. Perhaps, the launch of the PS6 could be commemorated with a re-release of From’s other neglected masterpiece, Bloodborne.

More from Tom's Guide

• PS5 Pro release date — latest rumors and our prediction
• PS6 first specs leak reveals AMD power — 8K gaming at 60 fps
• The best PS5 games in 2024