PlayStation 6

The PlayStation 6 has not been announced. Sony has not given a PlayStation 6 release date or a price, so everything you read about the next PlayStation is a report, a leak or an educated guess. This page separates what is confirmed from what is rumored, and we update it whenever Sony or reliable reporters share something new.

When is the PlayStation 6 coming out?

There is no official PlayStation 6 release date. When asked, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki has said no launch date has been set, and Sony continues to describe the PS5 as being in the middle of its life cycle. Reports from industry analysts and leakers point to a window between 2027 and 2029. Several reports in 2026 said rising memory chip prices and the timing of Grand Theft Auto 6 could push the next generation later rather than earlier.

History gives a useful guide. PlayStation generations have lasted about six to seven years between launches:

Console	US launch	Gap to next
PlayStation	September 1995	5 years
PlayStation 2	October 2000	6 years
PlayStation 3	November 2006	7 years
PlayStation 4	November 2013	7 years
PlayStation 5	November 2020	?

A seven-year gap would put the PS6 in late 2027, and an eight-year gap in late 2028. So when is the next PlayStation coming out? The honest answer is “probably 2027 or 2028, but Sony has not said”. When does the PlayStation 6 come out in your region? Sony usually launches in North America, Japan and Europe within weeks of each other.

PlayStation 6 price

No price has been announced. The PS5 launched at $499.99 for the disc model and $399.99 for the Digital Edition, but Sony raised prices several times in 2025 and 2026, and the PS5 Pro reached $899.99 in the US in April 2026. Memory and chip costs have gone up, and Microsoft’s next Xbox is reportedly aiming much higher. Taken together, a new PlayStation 6 is very likely to cost more than any previous PlayStation at launch. Treat any exact figure you see online as speculation until Sony announces it.

PlayStation 6 specs: what to expect

Sony has not published specs. Reports say the PS6 uses a custom AMD system-on-chip again, which would keep backward compatibility with PS5 and PS4 games simpler. Expect a big jump in ray tracing and AI upscaling (Sony’s PSSR, introduced on the PS5 Pro), faster SSD storage, and more memory. Sony and AMD have also talked publicly about a joint project called Project Amethyst focused on machine learning graphics, which is widely expected to feed into the next console.

PlayStation 6 handheld leak

Several reports say Sony is developing a handheld that can run PlayStation games natively, unlike the streaming-only PlayStation Portal. Some reports describe it as a PS6 portable that launches alongside or after the home console and plays the same library at lower settings. Sony has not confirmed any of this. If it happens, it would be Sony’s first native handheld since the PS Vita in 2011.

Will the PS6 be backward compatible?

Sony has not confirmed it, but every sign points to yes. The PS5 runs almost all PS4 games, PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium depend on a big back catalog, and Sony now publishes its games on PC, which shows its studios build for scalable hardware. A PS6 that plays PS5 games would protect your digital library, which is the main reason most players are comfortable buying PS5 games today.

Should you buy a PS5 now or wait for the PS6?

Buy a PS5 now if you want to play today. Even if the PS6 arrives in late 2027, the PS5 will keep getting new games for years after that, just as PS4 versions kept coming for two to three years after the PS5 launched. Waiting only makes sense if you already own a PS5 and are considering the expensive PS5 Pro, because a PS6 could be a better use of that money. Compare options on the PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro pages, and read our PS5 Pro vs PS5 comparison.

PS6 vs the next Xbox

Microsoft has confirmed its next-generation hardware, codenamed Project Helix, and says developer kits arrive in 2027. A Fortune report in October 2026 said the Helix console targets holiday 2028 at $1,200 to $1,800. If those reports are right, Sony may launch first and at a lower price. See everything on our Project Helix page and the broader Xbox vs PlayStation guide.

Signs the PS6 announcement is close

• Sony usually reveals a new console about 9 to 12 months before launch; the PS5 was named in April 2019 and shown in June 2020.
• Developer kits leak months before a reveal, usually through job listings and insider reports.
• Sony’s financial reports start talking about “next-generation platform investment”.
• Big first-party games get announced “for PlayStation” without saying PS5.

When any of these happen we will update this page with dates and sources.

PlayStation 6 rumor timeline

When	What was reported	Status
2024	Leaks say Sony and AMD are working on chips for a next-generation PlayStation	Unconfirmed
2025	Sony and AMD announce Project Amethyst, a partnership on machine learning graphics for future hardware	Confirmed partnership, no console named
2025-2026	Reports describe a PS6 handheld that runs games natively	Unconfirmed
2026	Analysts warn memory costs and the GTA 6 schedule could delay new consoles to 2028 or later	Analysis
2026	Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki says no PS6 date has been decided	Official comment

What the PS6 could mean for PlayStation Plus and your games

If the PS6 is backward compatible, your PS5 digital library, saves on the cloud and PlayStation Plus membership should carry over, as they did from PS4 to PS5. Sony has been moving PS Plus toward PS5-only monthly games since January 2026, and it would likely do the same for PS6 a year or two after launch. Disc owners should keep an eye on whether the PS6 includes a disc drive at all: the PS5 Pro already ships without one, and Sony sells the drive separately.

Will the PS6 have a disc drive?

Sony has not said. The trend is toward detachable drives: the slim PS5 and the PS5 Pro both use an optional drive that clicks onto the console. A PS6 Digital model without a drive is very likely, with the drive as an add-on, which would keep the base price down.

How we will know the PS6 is real

Sony announced the PS5 with a magazine interview in April 2019, revealed the name in October 2019 and showed the console in June 2020, five months before launch. A similar schedule for the PS6 would mean an early technical reveal roughly 18 months before release. Until Sony makes a statement like that, treat “PS6 release date” headlines as rumor. Bookmark this page: we list every official statement with its date so you can see how the story develops.

PlayStation 6 at a glance

• Official name: not confirmed; “PlayStation 6” is the expected name.
• Release date: not announced; reports say 2027 to 2029.
• Price: not announced.
• Chip: reported custom AMD design.
• Handheld: reported, not confirmed.
• Backward compatibility: expected, not confirmed.

Want to know what to play while you wait? Our best PS5 and Xbox games of 2026 list and the PlayStation exclusives guide cover the biggest releases of this generation.

What would make the PS6 worth buying at launch?

Launch consoles are usually at their most expensive and have the fewest exclusive games. The PS5 had Demon’s Souls, Astro’s Playroom and Spider-Man: Miles Morales on day one, but many of its best games arrived two or three years later. For most players the smart move will be to wait for the first price cut or a bundle with a big game, unless a must-play exclusive launches with the console. We will judge the PS6 on three things when it is revealed: price, how well it runs your PS5 library, and the launch lineup.