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The next PlayStation console has been delayed. That's according to new reports, which suggest the Japanese firm's rumoured PS6 won't arrive next year, as many industry-watchers had anticipated.
Sony typically releases its new console generation every six to seven years. With the last console released in 2020, many have been anticipating something new around the corner.
Although Piers Harding-Rolls, a gaming research director at Ampere, currently forecasts new PlayStation and Xbox hardware arriving in late 2027, he speculates that Sony could be tempted to wait until 2028 instead. That delay could serve to maximise PS5 sales in the wake of the long-delayed release of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6). This is the sequel to Grand Theft Auto V, which is the biggest-selling entertainment product in history — bringing in $1 billion in revenue since its release in 2013.
Mr Harding-Rolls told Gi.biz that the release of GTA 6 will be "such an important driver of hardware sales," and not just when the game comes out, but for multiple years to follow. "Sony and Microsoft will have wanted a much earlier release than late 2026 so they could generate momentum earlier in the cycle," he said.
Rockstar Games has delayed the release of GTA 6 twice, which is the sequel to GTA 5 that was released in 2013
| ROCKSTAR GAMES PRESS OFFICEGames like GTA 6 can directly impact the release dates of new consoles because hardware manufacturers — like Sony and Microsoft — rely on newer high-profile games to give you more of a reason to upgrade to compatible consoles when they launch, such as the PS5.
Mr Harding-Rolls explains, "Might the console companies be tempted to get more from the current console generation by riding the GTA 6 wave and waiting until 2028? The fact that games are now cross-gen makes this less of a factor, perhaps, but such is the size of the GTA franchise, the launch timing will get all areas of the games business thinking about their product strategies."
GTA 6 has been delayed twice and is now expected to release on November 19, 2026.
Hi everyone,
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) November 6, 2025
Grand Theft Auto VI will now release on Thursday, November 19, 2026.
We are sorry for adding additional time to what we realize has been a long wait, but these extra months will allow us to finish the game with the level of polish you have come to expect and… pic.twitter.com/yLX9KIiDzX
These strong sales could have Sony sitting tight on releasing anything new for the time being.
"Publishers will undoubtedly shuffle around their release schedules to avoid going head-to-head with GTA 6," he said. "The delay will have a significant impact on console sales dynamics in 2026," said Mr Harding-Rolls.
David Gibson, a senior analyst at MST Financial, has also indicated that Sony is looking to extend the lifespan of the current-generation console, the PlayStation 5, due to strong sales.
"Sony expects the PS5's lifecycle to be extended," Mr Gibson writes. "The PS6's release is likely to be delayed longer than many expected."
Mr Gibson has said Sony's PS5 projected earnings in the third financial quarter of last year are expected to exceed forecasts, with strong sales of games driving the growth.
The official report will be released on February 5.
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The Grand Theft Auto franchise is an action-adventure video game series created by DMA Design (now Rockstar North) and published by Rockstar Games. The series is best known for its sprawling cities and crime-driven narratives.
If the new PS6 is delayed, this would also mean that gamers could miss out on the latest graphics from the new console for an extra 12 months.
Based on prior releases, Sony typically releases a new PlayStation every six to seven years:
- PS1: (1994)
- PS2: 2000 (approx. 6 years)
- PS3: 2006 (approx. 6 years)
- PS4: 2013 (approx. 7 years)
- PS5: 2020 (approx. 7 years)
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There's also the matter of rising component costs to consider. RAM prices have shot up considerably, which could have given Sony pause when planning its next-generation pricing strategy. They're not alone in facing this problem either.
The founder of British start-up Nothing confirms their smartphone price will increase this year, and the first-of-its-kind Freely box was hit with a price rise just two months after its release.