PlayStation is actively encouraging PS4 owners to move to the PS5 as the wider games industry faces pressure from rising component costs and shifting market dynamics. Industry commentary reported by Eurogamer highlights speculation that next-generation hardware could be delayed, with one analyst predicting PS6 will not arrive until after 2028.

The analyst cited by Eurogamer pointed to growing demand for silicon and other key components driven by artificial intelligence and data-centre expansion. Those forces are putting upward pressure on prices and complicating roadmaps for console manufacturers, which in turn increases the appeal of extending the life of existing platforms.

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Against that backdrop, both Sony and Microsoft appear to be focused on maximising the potential of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S families. That strategy includes encouraging users on older hardware to upgrade and investing in software optimisations, platform services and backward compatibility rather than launching an immediate successor console.

The likely outcome is a longer console generation, with implications across the industry. Developers may prioritise cross-generation releases, and platform holders are likely to lean more heavily on subscription services and digital storefronts to sustain revenue. Hardware timelines will now be shaped not only by technical ambition but also by macroeconomic and supply-chain realities.

Eurogamer's coverage of the analyst's prediction frames the current period as unusually volatile for the hardware market, where external demand from non-gaming sectors can materially affect component availability and pricing. The analyst's forecast that PS6 will arrive after 2028 underscores a possible shift to a slower cadence for generational turnover.

For the moment, PlayStation's push towards PS5 reflects a pragmatic response to those pressures: consolidating player bases on a more modern platform while watching how supply and pricing evolve before committing to a new generation.

Source: Eurogamer.