Sony Says PS6 Development Is on Schedule as PS5 Shipments Reach 97.9 Million

Sony said on November 5 that development of its next-generation PlayStation platform is progressing as scheduled. The company did not announce the official name, price or launch date of the PlayStation 6, and it did not confirm reports that the console could arrive in 2027. Sony said it will continue investing in the next platform and will disclose product details at an appropriate time.

Sony also reported that cumulative PS5 shipments reached 97.9 million units worldwide as of September 30, 2026. It shipped 2.6 million consoles in the second quarter of its 2026 fiscal year, covering July through September, down from 4 million in the same period a year earlier. The company said PS5 hardware sales are gradually declining as expected at this stage of the console lifecycle, while overall engagement across the PlayStation platform remains stable.

Development progress does not establish a launch window

Sony’s finance chief said during the earnings discussion that work on the next-generation platform is progressing according to plan. The company expects to continue investing in the new platform from the next fiscal year onward. That confirms ongoing development, but it does not mean the hardware has entered mass production or that Sony has selected a release window.

Sony executives have previously said the company has not decided when to launch the PS6 or how much it will cost. The company needs to assess the availability and pricing of memory and other components, market demand and possible changes to its business model. Growing demand from AI data centers has pushed up prices for some memory products, adding another planning challenge for console makers.

PS5 remains a large platform, although quarterly shipments have slowed

Sony shipped 2.6 million PS5 consoles in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, down 1.4 million from the 4 million shipped in the same quarter a year earlier. Cumulative shipments reached 97.9 million units. PlayStation Network had 127 million monthly active users at the end of September. PS4 and PS5 software sales totaled 88.2 million units during the quarter, including 8.2 million first-party titles. Full-game digital downloads accounted for 78% of software sales.

The figures suggest that slower hardware shipments do not necessarily mean that user engagement or software sales are falling at the same pace. Sony said it intends to support engagement through major game releases, service expansion and development of its next platform.

Memory costs remain an important factor in next-generation planning

Sony said it had aligned with suppliers on the amount of memory needed for its projected hardware sales in the next fiscal year. It also said it had offset some of the increase in PS5 memory costs through adjustments to promotions and pricing, along with additional cost reductions. The company expects hardware profitability for the current fiscal year to remain broadly in line with the previous year.

That does not mean the cost or price of the next console has been decided. The PS6 will require newer processor, graphics and memory technologies, and its final positioning will depend on component prices, supply, manufacturing yields and consumer demand. Sony has not confirmed a 2027 release or disclosed official specifications.

For players, the confirmed points are that next-generation development is on schedule, PS5 cumulative shipments are approaching 100 million and Sony is continuing to invest in a successor platform. The launch date, price, performance and possibility of a handheld model remain unannounced.