- Regular PS6 tipster, Moore's Law is Dead, has claimed Sony's next-gen console could be up to 8x faster than the base PS5.
- Lovers of physical media fear not, an Insider Gaming report claims PS6 will offer users the option of a disc drive.
- PS6 specs may have leaked, and they would be a significant upgrade on the PS5.
- Ex-Sony executive claims that PS6 may not launch until 2028.
The PS5 generation is still in its prime, but online whispers about the PlayStation 6, or PS6, are already increasing in intensity. Adding fuel to the flames, last year, a Sony executive noted that the PS5 is set to shortly enter “the latter stage of its lifecycle,” so attention is clearly shifting to the future.
Before diving into the numerous PS6 rumors and supposed leaks that have already surfaced, it’s important to caveat everything at present by noting that, as of now, Sony has not even confirmed the existence of the PS6.
There are no concrete details whatsoever, so everything you read regarding the PS6 from price rumors and potential spec sheets should be taken with a significant grain of salt. For now, the PS6 is merely a hypothetical console.
Of course, considering the continued success of the PS5 (and the beefed-up PS5 Pro), alongside the overall strength of the PlayStation brand, and its overall importance within Sony’s portfolio, I think we can say with confidence that a successor system is inevitable.
The PS5 will almost certainly continue to be Sony’s flagship gaming platform for at least a couple more years, but with the PS6 rumor mill already churning, I’ve gathered up all the early speculation and unconfirmed details floating around on Sony’s next-gen hardware.
PS6 release date and price speculation
When it comes to next-gen hardware, the question on most gamers' minds initially is usually: When will it launch, and how much will it cost?
Of course, considering that Sony hasn't announced the PS6, these are not questions we can answer with any degree of certainty. Currently, there is no confirmed release date for the PS6, and we do not have any price details for the PS6.
Diving into the realms of (logical) speculation, it appears likely the PS6 could launch in 2027, potentially in November of that year. That would be a seven-year gap between PS6 and PS5, which is the same timeframe as we saw between PS4 and PS5, and also between PS3 and PS4.
Sony has also favored a November release date for the last three generations of PlayStation consoles. Making November 2027 as good a guess as any at present. However, with the crossover period between PS4 and PS5 being longer than in previous generations, and the PS5 Pro only launching in late 2024, Sony may opt to extend the PS5’s lifecycle into 2028.
Similarly, we’re only able to speculate on the PS6 price at present. The base PS5 launched in 2020 for $499, with a refreshed PS5 Slim model following in 2023, sticking at $499.
This was recently raised to $549 with Sony citing the “challenging economic environment” as the reason for the mid-generation price hike. Meanwhile, PS5 Pro arrived in November 2024, costing an eyewatering $699, and this has also been increased over the summer to $749.
We’re now in an era of consoles where they appear to be getting more expensive in the years following launch (Xbox Series X has received price increases of its own), rather than becoming cheaper over the years.
For this reason, it’s hard to see the PS6 costing less than the current price of the PS5 Slim. I wouldn’t be so sure it’ll match the price of the PS5 Pro (a $700 base console would be a tough sell), so $599 to $649 is my guess.
PS6 potential specs
Naturally, we can assume any future PlayStation console will be more powerful than Sony’s current most powerful hardware, the PS5 Pro. It would be unprecedented for PlayStation to take a backwards step with its next-gen hardware, so expect a beefy PS6.
Sony partnered with AMD for both the PS4 and PS5 (while the PS3 used the infamous proprietary Cell processor), and it has been well-reported that this alliance will continue into the next generation of PlayStation hardware. Which, among other things, would likely be good news for anybody hoping the PS6 will be backwards compatible with PS5 and PS4 games.
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 that the console’s chip will offer 4K at 120fps and even 8K at 60fps gaming. The PS5 can technically output 4K images at 60fps, but very few blockbuster games can meet these benchmarks alongside advanced graphics.
An even more recent report from the same source suggests that PS6 could take advantage of AMD’s new RDNA 5 GPU. As reported by our friends over at GamesRadar, the GPU is comparable to an RTX 4080 card and would allow the PS6 to outperform the PS5 Pro.
According to Moore’s Law is Dead, the PS6’s performance should be a three-fold increase on the base PS5, with improved ray tracing features. Interestingly, this supposed leak also indicates the PS6 will have fewer Compute Units than the PS5 Pro, but because of RNDA 5, each unit could be better utilized. This is all just rumored for now, but it’s exciting stuff.
Don’t forget, we’ve not even touched on the AI possibilities either. The PS5 Pro already uses an upscaling technique known as PSSR (Sony's answer to Nvidia's DLSS), and the PS6 would likely offer similar capabilities, many even boosted to a higher degree. I expect AI to be a big buzzword around the PS6.
Will there be multiple PS6 models?
Another big question surrounding the PS6 is whether it’ll launch with multiple models. The PS5 was initially available in two flavors: PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition. The difference between the two was simple: the former had a disc drive, the latter did not (naturally).
This distinction was somewhat simplified via the PS5 Slim, which made the disc drive detachable. So you can pick between a PS5 Slim with a drive pre-installed or opt for a digital-only console, but still have the ability to install a $99 disc drive down the road.
The PS5 Pro launched in just one model, lacking a disc drive, but much like the PS5 Slim, a disc drive was an optional extra that could be installed in a matter of moments — seriously, the installation is a breeze, I added one to my own PS5 Pro and it took a few seconds.
There have been some online predictions that the PS6 will be a digital-only console with no disc drive option, but former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden did make his own personal prediction that PlayStation's next console won’t completely abandon discs.
Insider Gaming, a frequent source of gaming leaks, has recently claimed that Sony will replicate its modular approach with the PS5 Slim/PS5 Pro for the PS6. Essentially, the PS6 will be a digital-only console as standard, but users will have the option of purchasing a disc drive separately and installing it. Sony may also opt to sell a console with one pre-installed.
A more intriguing rumor comes by way of Moore’s Law is Dead. The YouTuber claims that Sony may be considering launching a PS6S, which would be essentially a PlayStation spin on the Xbox Series S (itself a cheaper, less powerful version of the flagship Xbox Series X).
This would be a huge shift for Sony, which has never opted to release a comparatively lower-specced model of any of its previous consoles. This (rumored) PS6S would presumably be cheaper than the base console, but would come at the cost of power.
What PS6 games are in development?
With the PS6 not yet revealed, there are naturally no games in development for the console. But we have had one hint of a title that isn’t likely to be released until the PS6 (or whatever Sony’s next console ends up being called) is sitting in our entertainment units.
During PlayStation State of Play in February 2024, 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. The use of the phrase “next-generation” seems particularly significant here, and it could be a subtle clue.
Kojima Productions just released the acclaimed Death Stranding 2: On the Beach over the summer, and is also working on a horror game called OD in collaboration with Xbox Game Studios.
So we can logically assume Physint is several years away, suggesting that it could be an exclusive PS6 title, or maybe it’ll be a cross-generational release on PS5 and PS6.
Other in-development games that I predict won’t be launching until the PS6 has become a reality include The Witcher 4 (codenamed Polaris) and a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077 (codenamed Orion), both being created by Polish developer CD Projekt Red.
We also know that the best-selling Harry Potter RPG, Hogwarts Legacy, is getting a follow-up. It’s in “early development,” according to Variety, suggesting it could be another game that launches in the PS6’s lifecycle.
If you’ll indulge my personal wishlist for a moment, seeing as the PS5 launched with a stunning remake of FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls, here’s hoping the PS6 might follow this trend and arrive with a re-release of From’s other neglected masterpiece, Bloodborne.
More from Tom's Guide
- The best PS5 games in 2025
- PS5 Pro review: The most powerful console ever at a steep price
- The best PS5 accessories to buy right now
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
