Gamers left divided as rumors of possible PlayStation 6 price intensify
While we've still got a few years of life left in the old girl yet, PlayStation owners are starting to realize the PlayStation 5 is heading into its twilight years. The average gaming generation typically lasts for seven years, and with both the PS5 and Xbox Series hitting shelves in 2020, the clock is ticking.
Most of the gaming world is currently caught in the gravitational pull of the Nintendo Switch 2 or the upcoming release of GTA 6, but for PlayStation fans, they're looking even further ahead.
The OG PlayStation came out all the way back in 1994, and over the past 31 years, we've had a steady stream of consoles.
As one of the biggest players in the market, the record-breaking PlayStation 2 even has the honor of being the best-selling console of all time. That doesn't mean Sony hasn't had some fumbles, with the likes of PlayStation Move, the Vita, and the PS3's expensive launch being just some of the mistakes made over the years.
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Even though the PS5 is ticking along nicely and has just crossed the milestone mark of 75 million units sold, Sony should get a fair few more sales thanks to exclusives including Marvel's Wolverine, Ghost of Yotei, and Death Stranding. The PS5 Pro is also tipped to be the console of choice when it comes to playing GTA 6.
Leakers are honing on a mythical price tag for the mythical PlayStation 6, and it’s safe to say, you might want to start saving now.
Posting on NeoGAF, leaker KeplarL2 claimed there are two system-on-chip (SoCs) in development for the next generation of PlayStation console. Basically, two different consoles: "There's two SoCs in development for next-gen, [I don’t know] if it's a Series X/S situation or home console and handheld, but probably one of them will be affordable at least...Yes, the two SoCs I mentioned in that thread are for PS6."
Microsoft famously launched the Xbox Series S at a more reasonable $299 in 2020, while the beefier Xbox Series X was a closer rival to the PS5 and came in at a pricier $499.
When someone in the replies joked the PS6 could be released for $799 and not even have a disc drive, it's an idea that isn't actually that laughable.
One gamer responded: "On one hand inflation not going to help the price of PS6. On the other hand, I think Sony is more willing to lose money upfront on a new gen base console than on a Pro model that is largely going to sell to existing customers who already have a machine to play the same games."
Another added: "If Xbox's new console comes out at 500, then Sony would be f**ked if they went 700. I would expect 500 at most, maybe 550? But assume the consoles to be priced similarly between Sony and Microsoft."
Responding to the news on Reddit, someone else said: "I can see two socs where one is in the ballpark of the ps5 pro in performance for 400 and the other being 700 with true 2x performance uplift compared to ps5."
Others think that Sony will take a leaf out of Nintendo's book and try to emulate the Switch's success by launching a typical home console and a portable hybrid: "Bet one of them is the portable version.
“Ally X (and somewhat SD) has shown us that we can have AAA gaming experience with great battery life even with a Windows OS so a dedicated next generation PS/Xbox handheld should be very interesting."
To be fair, the original PlayStation launching for $299 in 1994 is wild by today's standards. Considering that's the same as $640 in today's money, the PS5 launching at $499 isn't that bad.
Either way, the fact that the PS5 Pro launched for $699 in November 2024 should give us some indication of where things are heading for the PS6.