It’s been nearly six years since the PlayStation 5 launched. Sony has confirmed it’s working on a successor but hasn’t shared a timeline. Now an unexpected source, Swedish publisher Embracer Group, has dropped a data point that suggests the wait could stretch even longer than expected.
In its 2025/26 annual report published this week, Embracer wrote that “several analysts” believe Sony is considering pushing the next PlayStation console from 2027 to either 2028 or 2029. If the later end of that window holds, the PS6 would arrive a full nine years after the PS5.
RAM prices are the culprit
The delay isn’t about silicon design or game development timelines. It’s about memory costs.
Embracer’s report, on page 17, lays out the reasoning directly: “In the longer term, increased RAM costs could also lead to delays in the release of future consoles. Indeed, some analysts believe Sony is now considering postponing the launch of its next PlayStation console from 2027 to 2028 or even 2029.”
The report also flagged U.S. tariff instability and the global surge in RAM prices as factors that could negatively impact console pricing and, by extension, market growth in the near term. Both pressures work against launching a new piece of hardware that would need to hit a consumer-friendly price point.
This isn’t the first delay signal
Embracer’s report echoes what Bloomberg sources reported back in February, when insiders said Sony was reconsidering its PS6 launch window. The two reports arriving months apart from separate sources add weight to the idea that the original 2027 target has shifted.
Microsoft may move first
The current expectation in the industry is that Microsoft will launch Project Helix, its hybrid PC/console, in December 2027. If the PS6 slips to 2028 or 2029, Microsoft would have anywhere from one to two years of next-gen market presence before Sony responds.
That gap matters. Console launch windows have historically shaped install base advantages that persist for years. Whether Sony is comfortable ceding that ground depends on how confident it is that a later, more powerful machine at a competitive price will make up the difference.
The console market outlook for 2026
Embracer’s report wasn’t all caution. The company expects the console gaming market to grow at 5% year-over-year in 2026, driven by a strong release slate headlined by Grand Theft Auto VI in November. But the report is clear that tariffs and component costs represent headwinds that could limit that growth, particularly if they push hardware prices higher.
For now, PS5 owners are looking at a longer generation than any previous PlayStation cycle. Sony hasn’t commented on a PS6 release window publicly.
