Things in the video game world are a bit strange right now. There are several reasons for this, both inside and outside the industry. One of the biggest issues is that the parts needed to make electronics are getting more expensive. This is partly because of how much AI and big computer centers need these parts. Because of this, new game consoles might be delayed. Companies like Sony and Microsoft want to sell as many of their current consoles, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, as possible before new ones come out. They are waiting for the market to calm down.
According to IGN, David Gibson, a senior analyst who studies technology and gaming companies, has shared some thoughts. He recently put out a report about how Sony has been doing financially and what might be next for the company. This report came out on the 16th of this month.
The good news for Sony is that they are expected to make more money than they thought in the third part of their financial year, which ends in February 2026. Games made by Sony and other companies working with them are still selling well. It also looks like many people are still paying for PlayStation Network subscriptions. The report mentioned that sales for this quarter are expected to be around 1.8 trillion yen, which is about 11.6 billion dollars. The profit is expected to be around 160 billion yen, or about 1 billion dollars.
These good sales numbers for the PS5, both for the console itself and the games, make it seem more likely that the PS6 will be delayed. Gibson said that Sony believes the PS5 will be around for longer than previous consoles. He also thinks the PS6 probably won’t come out until sometime after the year 2028. People in the industry were already guessing last year that a 2028 release was possible. If this happens, the PS5 generation will be longer than the PS4’s seven years of being the main console, even though the PS4 is still getting games. If the market continues to make things difficult, the PS5 will be Sony’s main console for an even longer time.
Sony has been doing things that suggest they are indeed planning for a longer PS5 lifespan. Last November, they released a cheaper PS5 model, but it was only available in Japan and only played Japanese games. They also offered big discounts on the PS5 during Black Friday in 2025. On top of that, there are reports that Sony is sending messages directly to PS4 owners, encouraging them to switch to the PS5.
Gibson also believes that Sony is now more focused on keeping the people who already own a PS5 happy, rather than trying to sell more consoles, even though PS5 sales are still good. Right now, Sony hasn’t announced any price increases because of the shortage of memory parts. However, the analyst did say that Sony might have to charge customers more in the future if costs keep going up, even if there’s no immediate problem. This is similar to what Nintendo has said about the situation. So, it looks like Sony and Nintendo will have steady growth through 2026. On the other hand, Xbox had a tough year in 2025 with not many console sales, so it’s unclear how Microsoft’s consoles will do going forward.
