It's only been under three years since the PlayStation 5 was released, so we're expecting it to last a couple of years more like its predecessor. However, Sony's latest announcement says that's not the case.
PS5's Life Cycle
The PS4 has been around for quite some time since it was released back in November 2013, so users of the PS5 expected the console to have a few good years left before a new model would be developed. Unfortunately for the latest model, it did not have the smoothest run.
The company's prediction for PS5 sales is looking bad as they already expect it to slow down between April 2024 and March 2025, which is the next fiscal year of the tech giant, as reported by Kotaku.
"Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle," says Sony Senior Vice President Naomi Matsuoka, adding that the company will emphasize the balance between profitability and sales for the next fiscal year.
This could come as a disappointment to a lot of PS5 owners, particularly those who have just purchased their units. In case you don't recall, the latest PlayStation models were not exactly easy to obtain in its first two years of release.
Other than the fact that Sony was not able to manufacture enough to satisfy the demand due to supply chain shortages globally, there were a lot of scalpers who tried to acquire the units first in order to sell them at a much higher price.
That explains why many have only recently gotten their consoles in 2023. Sony CEO Jim Ryan himself announced that "everyone who wants a PS5 should have a much easier time finding one at retailers globally, starting from this point forward," at the CES event.
One of the factors that also made the news surprising to some is the fact that Sony just recently released the slim version of the PS5. Launched on November 10th, 2023, the PS5 Slim is 30% smaller than the original console and has a bigger storage capacity of 1 TB.
What Would This End of a Life Cycle Mean?
There's not much to it except that Sony will soon be planning or announcing the release of a more advanced model. It won't be an immediate jump to the PS6 either, as rumors are circulating that Sony is already working on an upgrade for the PS5, the PS5 Pro.
It would be a more powerful version of the PS5 in terms of specs and could provide even smoother gaming experiences and better visuals. As mentioned in Tom's Guide, this is supported by the legal documents revealed in the Activision acquisition case with Microsoft.
It states that the next generation console, which is the PS6, is not to be expected until at least 2028. This could serve as comforting news for PS5 owners, especially since Pro versions aren't exactly a far leap from the original console, meaning that they can keep it longer before the next-gen unit arrives.
