It has been a while since the PlayStation 5 was launched. Previous reports pointed out that the next-generation PlayStation 6 will be seen as soon as the holidays of 2027. I believe many gamers are looking forward to it, but this may have changed.
Recently, Sony responded specifically to the next-generation console at its press conference, giving a much more conservative attitude than expected. It said that the launch date and price of “PS6” have not been decided yet, and emphasized that memory prices will still be very expensive in 2027, which seems to imply that it may not be launched in 2027.
Sony CEO: Memory won’t be cheap until 2027, we must think carefully
According to foreign media VideoCardz According to reports, Sony CEO Totoki Hiroki said at the conference: “Looking at the current situation, memory price expectations for FY2027 are still very high because supply shortages will continue. Under this assumption, we must carefully consider what to do next.”
FY2027 for Sony is from April 2027 to March 2028, which means that the previously rumored PlayStation 6 may be launched from the 2027 holiday to early 2028, and there is a high probability that it will not be seen.
Image source:VideoCardz
Why do you say that? It is rumored that the main memory planned for the PS6 will be GDDR7, but the memory is now being eaten up by AI servers. Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron also give priority to high-end memory to the cloud companies with the highest bids. Customers with low gross margins such as OEMs need to queue up.
If you want to be first, you’ll have to pay a higher price, which Sony is unlikely to do.
At present, the price of PS5 has been increased several times, and the price of PS6 is expected to be even more expensive. If the price of memory is raised again, players will not be able to pay for it, which will indirectly affect sales.
What’s even more noteworthy is that Sony also said at the same conference that they are running “various simulations, including changing business models” to find the best solution.
This sentence is generally interpreted by the industry in two directions: One is that PS6 may not have only one specification like the PS5 in the past, but follow Apple’s example and launch multiple devices such as standard version, streamlined version, and handheld console at the same time, allowing players with different budgets to have corresponding choices. The other is that Sony may consider subscription-based hardware and installment payments, which are sales methods that traditional consoles have never had.
Three specifications have been revealed before:
- PS6 Standard Edition: USD 699 ~ 999 (with the strongest specifications, for core players)
- PS6 S Lite Edition: USD 349 ~ 549 (reduced version for budget or casual players)
- PS6 handheld console: USD 499 ~ 699 (portable + connected to the screen as a console)
A similar situation exists with Valve’s new Steam Machine. Although Valve has officially announced this new hardware, it has not yet announced the exact launch date and price.
Outsiders speculate that this may be related to the fact that the current cost of components such as memory, storage and GPU is still unstable. After all, if Valve announces the price too early, and subsequent hardware costs continue to rise, it will either compress profits or be forced to adjust prices. Both situations may trigger a rebound among players.
Compilation of current PS6 rumors: specifications, codename, price
Although Sony did not give any official details, there has been a lot of news about PS6 in the past year. The following information is all rumors and not Sony’s official statement, but some sources have a good hit rate in hardware leaks in the past and can be used as a reference.
The codename of the console APU is Orion, which is manufactured by AMD; the codename of the handheld APU is Canis.
PS6 console specifications rumors, according to the version disclosed by MLID:
- CPU: AMD Zen 6 architecture, 8 Zen 6c gaming cores (16 threads) + 2 Zen 6 LP system cores (4 threads), clock speed up to approximately 3GHz
- GPU: RDNA 5 architecture, 40 ~ 54 groups of CUs
- Memory: GDDR7, 160-bit bus, bandwidth approximately 640GB/s, total capacity estimated 30GB
- Performance positioning: Compared with PS5, rasterization performance is about 3 times, and ray tracing performance is up to 12 times.
PS6 handheld console (Canis) rumors:
- CPU: 6 cores (4 Zen 6c + 2 Zen 6 LP)
- GPU: 16 sets of RDNA 5 CU
- Memory: LPDDR5X-8533, 192-bit bus, supports up to 48GB RAM
- Compatibility: natively runs PS4 / PS5 games, supports docked mode (connected to an external TV screen)
Source: KOCPC Chinese