Sony Interactive Entertainment has yet to decide whether it will launch its next-gen console, the PS6, next year in 2027 amid global component shortage driven by AI data centers.
The uncertainty was expressed by Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki in a interview with The Wall Street Journal, putting a question mark over what many had viewed as the likely launch window for the PS6. Analysts have widely expected the company to follow the 7-year cycle between PlayStation generations, which would make a 2027 release plausible under normal circumstances for its next-generation hardware. However, the industry is facing mounting pressure on critical components, particularly memory chips, as AI data center demand surges.
Totoki acknowledged the challenges faced by Sony, including trade tensions and disrupted supplies of energy and chips. “Considering that importance, we need to take some action. Otherwise, we cannot survive in this landscape,” he told the Journal. These supply pressures are also affecting the economics of the company’s entertainment and gaming businesses. Its April-June earnings were solid, although the results benefited from US tariff rebates and a weaker Yen. Meanwhile, Sony’s shares have fallen around 2.5% over the past year as rising costs for essential components weigh on the industry.
The Sony CEO confirmed that the company remains undecided on whether it will launch the PS6 next year in 2027. This doesn’t necessarily mean the console will be delayed. The console maker may still target a launch next year if component availability and costs improve. There’s also the factor of aging specs, where hardware considered cutting edge in 2027 may not be so a year later. It’s highly unlikely that Sony will return to the drawing board and design a new SoC with AMD.
Meanwhile, hardware insiders r KeplerL2 and Moore’s Law Is Dead remain firm that the PS6 is still on track for a 2027 launch.
