Sony Says Next PlayStation Is on Schedule as PS5 Shipments Fall
Sony has confirmed its next-generation platform remains on track, as quarterly PS5 shipments dropped 35% year on year.
What you need to know
- Sony says development of its next-generation platform is proceeding on schedule.
- PS5 shipments fell from 4.0 million to 2.6 million year on year in the latest quarter.
- Sony has not confirmed a name, release date, price or specifications for its next console.
Next PlayStation work remains on track
Sony says development of its next-generation PlayStation platform is proceeding on schedule, despite a marked fall in PS5 shipments during its latest financial quarter.
Speaking after Sony published results on 5 November for the quarter ended 30 September, CFO Lin Tao said: “We are progressing as scheduled” and “The development itself is on schedule.” Sony has not formally announced a console called the PlayStation 6, referring instead to a “next generation platform”.
The company said it intends to make “solid progress” in preparing that platform in its next fiscal year, which begins in April 2027. It has not confirmed a launch window, price, specifications or UK availability.
PS5 shipments fall as the platform grows
Sony shipped 2.6 million PS5 consoles in the quarter, down from 4.0 million in the same period a year earlier — a 35% decline. These are sell-in figures, meaning units shipped into retail channels rather than necessarily sold directly to customers.
The PS5’s cumulative total reached 97.9 million units by 30 September. Sony said new PS5 sales were “gradually declining as expected in this stage of the console life cycle”.
That hardware slowdown did not extend across the wider PlayStation business. Game & Network Services sales rose 9% year on year to ¥1.2085 trillion, while operating income rose 83% to ¥220.1 billion. Monthly active users reached a September record of 127 million accounts, and combined PS4 and PS5 full-game sales rose to 88.2 million units.
What it means for UK buyers
Sony’s update is a progress report, not a next-console announcement. Anyone weighing up a console purchase now has no confirmed PS6 date, technical specification or price to work from.
The available UK PlayStation hardware remains the PS5 range. Sony’s recommended prices are £569.99 for the 1TB PS5, £519.99 for the 825GB PS5 Digital Edition and £789.99 for the 2TB PS5 Pro, although retailer offers and bundles can differ.
For now, Sony’s figures point to a maturing console cycle rather than an imminent handover: hardware shipments are slowing, but the PlayStation audience, game sales and network business are still expanding.
Why it matters
There is no reason for UK buyers to delay a PS5 purchase solely because of this update: Sony has not announced a launch timetable or price for its next console. The current PS5 range remains Sony’s confirmed hardware offering, while software sales, player activity and gaming revenue continue to grow despite slower console shipments.
Sources and evidence (10)
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- blog.playstation.com (other)
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