The PlayStation 5 Is Still A Ways Off

Before we get into the details of the latest report about the PlayStation 5 it is important to remember that there is no official word from Sony and that everything but an official announcement should be taken with a large helping of salt. With that out of the way, there is a report by Kotaku that suggest the PS5 might only release in 2020 according to their sources, with 2019 being the earliest.

This primarily comes down to the lack of knowledge around the new console that can be seen from developers themselves. According to the report, those familiar with Sony’s plans have put a 2019 release as extremely unlikely, barring some kind of massive change in competitor activity, while even first-party Sony studios have not been briefed on an upcoming new console release. Given that these developers would require access to close-to-release developer kits by now to start making games for the console, it does seem that either Sony is keeping things close to its chest or the rumors may be way off. Instead, whispers among devs themselves suggest a 2020 launch is far more likely.

It’s perhaps not surprising that Sony isn’t looking to launch a PS5 immediately. After all, there was a seven year gap between the PS3 and the PS4, and although the industry has moved on since then the relatively recent launch of the beefed up PS4 Pro meant that a new console outright was always unlikely for this year. Given that the PS4 in its various forms is still selling well, Sony cutting into its profits to launch a brand new console doesn’t seem like a strong game plan, particularly given the cost of developing the PS4 Pro in the first place.

Of course, anything can happen in gaming, and a major change in strategy from Microsoft in particular could force Sony’s hand on the matter. However, with the Xbox One X only launching last year, it would again be strange to see the company abandon such an expensive investment so soon. Instead, expect Sony to focus on hitting that new sales milestone with the help of releases such as Spider-Man.