PlayStation 6 Release Date and Pricing Updates Reportedly Shared by Chief Executive Officer

Sony will stop manufacturing physical discs for new PlayStation games from January 2028, but has still not decided when its next-generation console will launch or how much it will cost, the company has said.

Hiroki Totoki, chief executive of Sony Group, said in May that the firm had yet to settle on timing or pricing for its next system and was weighing different business models as memory costs rose.

Sony has discussed its next-generation platform but has not formally announced a console called the PlayStation 6. The widely cited 2027 timeframe reflects industry expectation based on the traditional gap between console generations, not a commitment from the company.

Previous transitions between major PlayStation machines have often fallen within a six- to seven-year window, which is why analysts and some fans point to the latter half of this decade, although Sony itself has kept public guidance deliberately broad.

What Sony Has Actually Said About the Next Console

Executives have signalled that future hardware is a priority without offering detailed information. Hideaki Nishino, president and chief executive of Sony Interactive Entertainment, described a next-generation console as 'top of mind' in June 2025, suggesting planning is underway at the PlayStation division. The remark has sometimes been wrongly attributed to Totoki, who leads the wider Sony Group.

Sony has not announced a price for any future console. For reference, the PS5 launched in the UK in November 2020 at £449.99 for the model with a disc drive and £359.99 for the Digital Edition. Those figures are often used as a benchmark in speculation, but Sony has not indicated whether it intends to match, raise, or lower that level.

Any eventual pricing is likely to take into account higher component and manufacturing costs, as well as competition from rival platforms and the growing role of subscriptions and services in the games market.

Backward compatibility was a major focus for many players moving from PS4 to PS5, yet compatibility of existing discs with any future hardware has not been addressed. That will depend on which software the new machines support, and Sony has not published details. The company has also not said whether it would prioritise physical or digital compatibility, or how existing digital libraries might carry over.

Disc Production To End in 2028

Separately, Sony confirmed a significant change to how games are sold. In a PlayStation Blog post on 1 July, the company announced that physical disc production for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will end from January 2028.

New titles will instead be available in digital formats through the PlayStation Store and retailers. Sony said the change would not affect games already released, or those released on disc before January 2028.

Discs already in circulation and those pressed before the cut-off date are expected to remain usable on compatible hardware, provided those machines stay supported.

The announcement drew criticism from some players and industry figures concerned about losing physical releases. Ars Technica reported that Sony acknowledged the backlash but would move ahead 'cautiously'.

Players who already buy most of their games digitally are likely to be less directly affected, while others have raised questions about long-term access to titles, the second-hand market and game preservation if new releases are only offered through online storefronts.

Handheld Plans Still Clouded by Rumours

Separate reports based on unverified leaks have described a PlayStation handheld codenamed Project Canis. Some of those accounts claim the device would use AMD hardware and next-generation graphics technology, though Sony has not confirmed any specifications.

Reports don't agree on whether such a product would be positioned as a full portable console or a companion device focused on connecting to other hardware.

Digital Foundry, the technology analysis outlet, has discussed Project Canis as a rumoured handheld distinct from the expected home console. Reports describe it as a dedicated gaming device, but how games would be delivered, and how far it would rely on local play, remote play or streaming, is unclear.

Observers have also noted Sony's previous experience with the PSP and PS Vita, although the company has not suggested it is returning to that market. Sony has not announced a handheld.