It only feels like the PS5 just released and people are already talking about the follow up, yet leaks dropping five years into the current console generation have suggested that the PlayStation 6 could be releasing sooner than many people expect.
The PlayStation 5 is without a doubt a powerful console – especially if you opt for the souped-up PS5 Pro which is reportedly breaking some people's TVs – yet some might argue that we've already reached a point where it has become outdated.
While thankfully many of the biggest games releasing have various performance modes that help you pick whether you'd rather have enhanced graphics or a faster frame rate, there are still some titles that feel like they're being held back by the current hardware.
With releases like Grand Theft Auto 6 on the horizon things are likely only going to become more strained, yet some leaks about the PlayStation 6 suggest that it might be further along than most people think.
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Console generations typically last anywhere between six and eight years, and it'll have been five years since the PS5 dropped this November, albeit with time slightly warped thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and notorious stock issues.
That would mean that people should probably expect the PS6 to be released within the next three years at the very most, but as reported by GAMINGbible, new information leaked by Moore's Law Is Dead could indicate that this could be sooner rather than later.
The notorious leaker has alleged that the PlayStation 6 will feature next-generation hardware powered by a GPU equivalent to the NVIDIA RTX 5090, alongside an AMD Orion processor.
This would give the upcoming console a significant performance boost over both the PS5 and PS5 Pro, offering the ability to play with native 4K graphics, high frame rates, and luxury visual features such as ray tracing — with an added boost coming from DLSS-like AI upscaling tech PSSR.
What's more, there are claims that this could all be packaged into a smaller chassis than the PS5, which is notoriously large due to the amount of cooling necessary for the components inside.
Considering the fact that the components and rough size are seemingly nailed down, this could suggest that Sony are more ready than expected to announce their next big console, with some optimistic that it might arrive as early as next year.
The biggest caveat that remains unknown, however, is the price, as that hardware certainly doesn't scream affordable and we've only just received widespread price bumps for the PS5 lineup.
The current price of an RTX 5090 is $1,999 on its own, and while consoles have always been cheaper than their PC counterparts due to a number of factors, it's difficult to imagine a world where the PS6 doesn't cause another eye-watering price increase when it does release.
Xbox's soon-to-be-released handheld PC has already left people shocked at quite how expensive it is, so understandably many people are bracing for what could end up being the highest priced gaming console in history.