Khaberni - Despite Sony still being in a state of stability supported by the success of PS5 and the introduction of the PS5 Pro, the general focus has gradually started shifting towards the next generation, where increasing leaks reveal early features of PlayStation 6 (PS6).
While the company maintains its usual secrecy, leaked data in recent months has given a clearer picture about the possible launch timeline, technical specifications, and even a new handheld device project that might release concurrently with the main platform, making PS6 a major topic of interest in the global gaming community.
Estimated PS6 Launch Date
The most popular estimates suggest that 2028 seems to be the closest option for the PS6 launch, which aligns with statements by Mark Cerny, PlayStation engineer, who mentioned earlier that the development cycle for the new generation spans many years before its official release.
Microsoft documents, which surfaced during the Activision acquisition trial, support the same timeline, subtly hinting that the next generation of Sony platforms will not arrive until the end of 2027.
The usual seven-year lifecycle of PlayStation devices aligns perfectly with this timing, especially since the PS5 appeared in 2020.
This proposition is reinforced by leakers like Moore’s Law Is Dead and KeplerL2 about starting the device manufacturing in 2027, although most analyses agree that 2028 is more realistic for the commercial release of PS6.
Expected PS6 Specifications
Despite the absence of an official announcement by Sony, the leaks provide a coherent vision of a device preparing to offer one of the strongest technological leaps in the company's history.
The device, according to leakers like Moore’s Law Is Dead, relies on AMD's new RDNA5 architecture or possibly UDNA, a leap that positions it at the forefront in terms of graphical power, likely reaching up to 40 teraflops, equivalent to four to eight times the performance of the current PS5.
This change extends to the expected central processor, likely based on the Zen 6 architecture with up to ten cores, plus a DDR7 memory capacity of up to 40GB, specifications that pave the way for running huge games at levels not previously reached by any prior generation.
New Generation Technologies
The leap does not stop at the internal hardware; the leaks point to a radical improvement in ray tracing technologies, with performance exceeding the PS5 by approximately 12 times, which means a clear transition in the realism of lighting and shadows within games.
The device, according to circulated information, supports 4K resolution at 120 frames per second and 8K resolution at 60 frames per second, along with an enhanced version of the resolution enhancing technologies under the name PSSR, a technology that first appeared in the PS5 Pro and delivered results closer to original quality.
Storage and Loading Speed
The information also indicates that Sony is leaning towards increasing the basic storage capacity to 2 terabytes, to match the growing sizes of games.
This leap accompanies significant improvements in the SSD read speed, which reduces loading times almost completely, making transitions between scenes or immediate entry into open worlds almost instantaneous.
Compatibility with Previous Generations
Most sources agree that PS6 will be compatible with PS4 and PS5 games. It seems that this decision aligns with Sony's recent direction towards preserving players' libraries and expanding access to previous generations without restrictions.
Possible PlayStation 6 Price
As for the price, estimates still vary due to global economic conditions. According to leaks from Moore’s Law Is Dead, the price of PS6 may range between 550 and 700 dollars, while other analysts believe the price could exceed this limit, possibly over 700 dollars.
Nonetheless, some sources expect the device to be cheaper than the next generation of Xbox, which is estimated to be the most expensive in the series' history.
According to leaks, Sony is considering making the disc drive detachable to reduce the price of the basic version and give players the freedom to choose the version suitable for them.
New Handheld Device Alongside PS6
Among the surprises that have garnered wide interest in recent reports is Sony's intention to launch a new handheld device concurrently with PS6.
The device, codenamed Canis, differs from PlayStation Portal in its ability to run games locally and not just through streaming.
The leaked information indicates that it will operate on an AMD chip with a 3nm architecture, with performance nearing that of the Xbox Series S and close to PS5, featuring a touchscreen, a USB-C port, and ray tracing support, along with the possibility of connecting to a Dock station in a manner similar to the Nintendo Switch.
The price is expected to range between 400 and 500 dollars, making it part of a hybrid gaming ecosystem linking the handheld and home console.
New Games
Regarding the games that might accompany the new generation, some analysts believe, based on the postponement of BioShock 4 to after 2026, that the game could be among the first titles targeting PS6, though this remains within the realm of speculation at the moment.
