7 days ago
PS6 release date ‘sooner' than we thought as major game cancellation exposes ‘exact launch year' for next-gen console
SONY'S PlayStation 6 may be out sooner than we thought, a new leak suggests.
The next-gen console built to replace the PS5 and PS5 Pro may be just around the corner.
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Court documents from Microsoft, which owns Xbox, previously revealed that the tech giant was expecting a 2028 launch for next-gen consoles.
That included its own top-secret Xbox successor as well as Sony 's unnamed next-gen PlayStation.
TIME TO PLAY?
But countering that is a new report from Insider Gaming that suggests an upcoming Blade Runner game due for 2027 has been cancelled.
The report notes that the game was due to land on next-gen consoles that are yet to be released.
This unannounced game was reportedly due to be called Blade Runner: Time To Leave.
It was allegedly in development at Supermassive Games, with a 12-hour single-player story planned.
The report notes that the game entered pre-production in September 2024 with a budget of around £33 million / $45 million.
But the game has supposedly been canned by the Guildford, UK-based studio.
However, it's a major hint that the PS6 might land in 2027 rather than 2028.
Supermassive Games is owned by Nordisk Film, which is a Sony partner that has exclusive distribution rights to PlayStation products in Nordic countries.
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Titles from the studio include Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology, The Quarry, and The Casting of Frank Stone.
The Sun has asked Supermassive Games for comment and will update this story with any response.
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE PS6 LAUNCH WINDOW?
Sony hasn't explicitly confirmed a launch timeline for the PS6.
But the company has released plenty of consoles in the past, giving us some useful info to work with.
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Just last year, we asked AI to predict the PS6 release date, based on Sony's PlayStation release history.
And it came up with Thursday, November 11, 2027 – fitting in with this latest leak.
Here's a list of previous PlayStation release dates, as well as the days of the week that those consoles launched on:
PlayStation – Saturday, December 3, 1994 (1st Saturday)
PS One – Friday, July 7, 2000 (1st Friday)
PlayStation 2 – Saturday, March 4, 2000 (1st Saturday)
PS2 Slimline – Friday, October 29, 2004 (5th Friday)
PlayStation 3 – Saturday, November 11, 2006 (2nd Saturday)
PS3 Slim – Thursday, August 27, 2009 (4th Thursday)
PS3 Super Slim – Tuesday, September 25, 2012 (4th Tuesday)
PlayStation 4 – Friday, November 15, 2013 (3rd Friday)
PS4 Slim – Thursday, September 15, 2016 (3rd Thursday)
PS4 Pro – Thursday, November 10, 2016 (2nd Thursday)
PlayStation 5 – Thursday, November 12, 2020 (2nd Thursday)
PS5 Slim – Friday, November 10, 2023 (2nd Friday)
PS5 Pro – Thursday, November 7, 2024 (1st Thursday)
There's usually a six-to-seven-year gap between the major console releases.
Just look at this list:
1994 – PlayStation
2000 – PlayStation 2
2006 – PlayStation 3
2013 – PlayStation 4
2020 – PlayStation 5
And the final two (and therefore most recent) consoles came out seven years after their predecessors.
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That would suggest that Sony would work towards a 2027 launch.
November is usually favoured by Sony for PlayStation launches, especially in recent years.
That means the console is out just in time for Christmas and the Black Friday spending season.
And Sony clearly tends towards Thursday and Friday launches, usually in the second or third week of the month.
Sony PlayStation through the ages
Here's a quick history of the main models released...
Sony PlayStation:
Japan – December 3, 1994
North America – September 9, 1995
Europe – September 29, 1995
Sony PlayStation 2:
Japan – March 4, 2000
North America – October 26, 2000
Europe – November 24, 2000
Sony PlayStation 3:
Japan – November 11, 2006
North America – November 17, 2006
Europe – March 23, 2007
Sony PlayStation 4:
North America – November 15, 2013
Europe – November 29, 2013
Japan – February 22, 2014
Sony PlayStation 5:
Japan – November 12, 2020
North America – November 12, 2020
Europe – November 12, 2020
"Considering the trends and patterns, Thursday, November 11, 2027 seems more likely for a few reasons," one of the latest AI models told The Sun last year.
"Sony has shown a preference for Thursday releases in recent years, especially for significant product launches like the PlayStation 5.
"Releasing on a Thursday allows for a full weekend of sales and media coverage, maximizing initial impact and momentum.
"Thus, the most likely date for the next-generation PlayStation console release, based on observed patterns and strategic considerations, would be: Thursday, November 11, 2027."
Sadly it's impossible to say exactly when the console will launch.
And even if Sony already has launch plans for 2027, they could still change.
In the meantime, PlayStation owners are having to pay extra for consoles after a recent PS5 price hike.
