Sony tech wizard Mark Cerny demonstrated a number of new video game graphics features in a new video posted to the official PlayStation YouTube channel titled “From Project Amethyst to the Future of Gaming: The Shared Vision of AMD and Sony Interactive Entertainment.” Almost the entirety of the nearly nine-minute conversation focuses on advances in graphics technology that Sony and AMD have been working on over the past two years.
But now at the end of the video, a rather innocuous reply from Cerny himself dares to mention a “future console” which will arrive in “a few years”. And that’s all it took to spark a growing wave of speculation about when Sony will release the inevitable PlayStation 6.
Here is the line in question:
“Overall, these technologies are of course still in their early stages, currently only existing in simulation. But the results are quite promising and I’m really excited to bring them to a future console in a few years.”
A future console in a few years? Most take this to suggest that Sony is planning to release the PS6 in late 2028.
This isn’t the first time Sony executives have spoken in vague terms about future PlayStation consoles. In June, in an investor-focused interview published on Sony’s website, Hideaki Nishino, CEO and President of Sony Interactive Entertainment, was asked directly: With cloud gaming now more than ever a viable option, do we need a next-generation console? Is the SIE developing one?
Nishino began his answer by explaining why console hardware is still needed despite the rise of cloud gaming: “We’ve been in cloud gaming for 11 years. We’ve rolled out a cloud gaming service to support the PS3, PS4, and PS5 generations and we’re really proud of the quality we offer.”
“Cloud streaming through PlayStation Plus Premium, and we have a cloud streaming beta on the PlayStation Portal, is one of the ways we do that.
“However, the cloud gaming business model must be sustainable for long-term growth. Cloud gaming is progressing well from a technical perspective, as we have demonstrated with these offerings. But end-to-end network stability is not in our control.”
“Cloud gaming increasingly provides an additional option for gamers to access content. But our belief is that the majority of gamers continue to want a gaming experience, gaming via local execution, without dependence on network conditions. The PS5 and PS5 Pro have validated this thesis, I believe.”
But is a new console really in development? Here is Nishino’s answer to this question:
“Our console business has evolved into a multi-faceted platform, and we now have a large ecosystem of players highly engaged in the PS5 and PS4 generations. So it is natural that there will be enormous interest in our next-gen console strategy.
“While we cannot share further details at this time, the future of the platform is a priority. We are committed to exploring a new and improved way for players to interact with our content and services.”
PS6 talk shouldn’t be that surprising. Console makers often begin work on next-gen consoles shortly after launching current-gen consoles. In fact, Sony began development of the PS5 almost immediately after the release of the PS4 in November 2013. After what happened before, the PS6 may already have been five years in the making. Maybe even longer.
But could Sony’s next-gen console plans also include a new PlayStation handheld? In August, rumors about the PlayStation 6 multiplied, alongside claims that it would be pluggable. If you look at the PlayStation Portal and how it’s evolved, Sony is clearly moving towards handheld. Indeed, Nishino was asked during the investor interview about Sony’s strategy around the PlayStation Portal and whether handhelds were part of its next-gen strategy, although he did not respond meaningfully.
The “will there be a new generation?” The question has been bubbling beneath the surface since the current generation launched in November 2020. With the PS5 is now over half its life And Microsoft launches Xbox-branded handheldschange is clearly coming.
Image credit: PlayStation/YouTube.
Wesley is news director at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
