PlayStation 5: 9 Biggest Rumours About Sony's Next Console
1. Released Within The Next Three Years
The closest thing we have to a potential PS5 release window is Shawn Layden's vague comment that it "will probably take some time" to arrive, but the industry analysts have already had their say on the matter.
Damian Thong of Macquarie Capital Securities believes the next-gen machine will touch down as early as next year and help Sony achieve all-time high profits for the financial year ending March, 2019.
"While we have tempered expectations to account for rivalry with Microsoft/Xbox and PC gaming, we note that the success of PS VR (which has reached 915K units sold) highlights the health of the ecosystem. We expect Sony to launch a 10 TFLOPS ‘PS5’ in 2018 to secure the installed base."
Meanwhile, industry expert Michael Pachter of Webbush Securities has gazed into his crystal ball and forecast a 2020 launch for the PS5, with the system debuting in time to capitalise on the rise of 4K broadcasting.
"I don't see 4K broadcast until 2020, and I think 4K broadcast is what's going to cause people to switch their TVs over. So, I think that's a good time to launch a new console. Sony should also work on backward compatibility this time."
So according to those in the know, we can expect the PS5 to land somewhere between 2018 and 2020, which would see it arrive five-to-seven years after the PS4 hit stores.