Ask when PS6 is coming out, and Sony's answer is always the same: not yet decided. CEO Hiroki Totoki, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, once again confirmed the company has not locked in a release date for PlayStation 6. Jason Douglas, the reporter behind the piece, wrote that Totoki "said the company has yet to finalize a release date for the PS6," a brief statement that left no further clues.
The statement itself isn't new information, but it effectively cools the optimistic speculation that had been circulating. It was widely believed that Sony was targeting a 2027 launch for its next-gen console, but reports back in February already indicated Sony was "considering" pushing the release to 2028 or 2029. Bloomberg's report at the time suggested the possible delay was due to shortages of memory-related components, and noted that such a delay, if it happens, would disrupt Sony's planned cadence for maintaining player engagement during the console generation transition.
More concerning to gamers than the release date might be another piece of news: the PS6 could very well launch above $1,000 (around £740). During a Q&A with investors this past June, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino was asked whether the company would "continue to prioritize profitability on hardware." His response: "In principle, we do not intend to sell hardware at a significant loss. At the same time, we are closely monitoring the market and continuously reassessing our approach. We believe it's important for consumers to fully understand the value we're providing in our pricing." The statement didn't promise a price hike, but it left no room for a price cut either.
Put the two things together, and Sony's signals this time are actually quite consistent: the timeline is uncertain, but the pricing stance is clear. Back in March, Sony raised PS5 prices for the second time in a year, with the PS5 Pro going from £699.99 to £789.99 and the standard digital console jumping from £429.99 to £519.99. At the time, the company attributed the increase to "the continued pressure of the global economic environment." Viewed against that backdrop, Nishino's comments suggest PS6 pricing likely won't be heading in the other direction.
Sony has not yet announced a specific release date or price for PlayStation 6. Further details await official confirmation.
