Next-Gen Consoles From Sony and Microsoft Expected to Debut in 2028
The release of Xbox and PlayStation’s new next-generation consoles is expected to happen no earlier than 2028, according to a recent document. As part of its official comments on the UK Competition and Market Authority statement, Sony itself mentions the next-generation PlayStation console. The PlayStation 6 would no longer have access to Call of Duty by the time it launches, according to Sony, who cited Microsoft’s offer to continue publishing Activision games on the PlayStation until 2027.
Microsoft has offered to continue making Activision’s games available on PlayStation only until 2027 (Microsoft, para. 3.27). Likewise, in public comments just on October 26, Microsoft said that it plans to offer Call of Duty on PlayStation only “as long as that makes sense.” A period until 2027 – or some other (possibly shorter) time that Microsoft unilaterally determines “makes sense” to Microsoft – is badly inadequate. By the time SIE launched the next generation of its PlayStation console (which is likely to occur around [redacted]), it would have lost access to Call of Duty and other Activision titles, making it extremely vulnerable to consumer switching and subsequent degradation in its competitiveness.”
According to Ampere Analysis specialist Piers Harding-Rolls, this seems to suggest that the PlayStation 6 could be introduced after 2027, most likely the next year.
Sony referred to a next generation of PlayStation console in its CMA response, with the suggested year of release being redacted
This was in a passage where it was referring to losing access to CoD after 2027, with higher potential for platform switching
PlayStation 6 in 2028? pic.twitter.com/f7govC8R7A
— Piers Harding-Rolls (@PiersHR) November 23, 2022
That claim suggests a potential year for the release of both parties’ new next-generation consoles. Sony provided sufficient details, despite being censored, to provide a reliable estimate. They began by bringing up Microsoft’s commitment to continue supporting Activision titles on the PlayStation “until 2027.” They then mentioned the loss of access once the new PlayStation is released as a follow-up to this. That puts the earliest year for the console’s arrival at 2028, which is after 2027.
Microsoft actually makes a similar statement, stating that “the debut of the next new generation of consoles is not anticipated to occur before the fall of 2028 at the very latest.” This applies to Xbox as well as PlayStation’s next-generation platform.
The delay between PlayStation platforms would be the longest ever. The duration of the last two consoles was increased to seven years, compared to the first two’s six-year lifespans. The longest console generation to date would begin with the launch of PlayStation 6 in 2028. The PlayStation 5, on the other hand, debuted in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic and struggled with a supply scarcity during its first two years on the market.
Furthermore, if Sony is actually planning to release its next-generation system in 2028, it makes more sense for a mid-generation refresh similar to the PS5 Pro to debut in 2023 or 2024.
