Sony’s Next PlayStation Could Arrive Sooner as PS5 Sales Slow

Sony is reportedly accelerating plans for its next-generation PlayStation console amid slowing PS5 sales and growing pressure in the global gaming market.

Rumours suggests the PlayStation 6 could launch as early as late 2027, despite ongoing concerns around rising memory and component costs.

Several hardware insiders claim Sony is weighing whether to trim hardware specifications to keep pricing under control, including reducing the console’s rumoured GDDR7 memory allocation from 30GB to 24GB.

However, prominent leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead argues Sony is unlikely to compromise heavily on performance, warning that lower memory bandwidth could limit the next-gen gaming experience consumers expect over the next decade.

The debate comes as Sony faces a challenging market environment. The company recently acknowledged slower PS5 sales growth, while inflation, supply chain pressures and higher DRAM prices continue to impact hardware manufacturers globally.

Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki (pictured) recently confirmed the company has not locked in either the launch timing or pricing for the PS6, citing uncertainty around memory supply and manufacturing costs.

It’s now believed Sony may be considering new business models to offset higher hardware prices.

Adding fuel to speculation, Sony this week confirmed a major 60-minute State of Play showcase for June 2, featuring updates from “top studios around the world” and a closer look at Marvel’s Wolverine. The scale of the event has triggered renewed rumours that Sony could begin teasing its next-generation hardware roadmap sooner than expected.

Reports also suggest Sony is developing both a home console and portable PlayStation device in parallel, potentially sharing a universal external disc drive accessory.

While Sony has yet to officially confirm the PlayStation 6, the company has repeatedly stated work on a “next-generation platform” is underway.