Sony Announce PlayStation 5 is Ready to Play

Sony today confirmed that development work is mostly complete on their true next generation console, the PlayStation 5.

In recent interviews Sean Layden, head of Sony Worldwide Studios, and Mark Cerny lead architect of the PlayStation 4 both commented that the new PlayStation 4 Pro did not represent a step away from the traditional console cycle to more iterative, gradual upgrades.

Sony doubled down on those comments, advising that PlayStation 5 development kits were already in the hands of their first party studios.

Traditionally console cycles have lasted seven or eight years. The latest PlayStation, the PlayStation 4 was launched in 2013, and only this month saw an overhaul with the PlayStation 4 Pro. When questioned whether 2016 was a little early to be pushing a console that will likely supersede the still strong selling PS4 family, Sony sent through the following statement.

Like our legion of players we at Sony believe in the PlayStation 4, and expect years and years of great games ahead for the system.

However, as our most dedicated fans already know, Sony’s first party development studios require time to develop the exceptional games they are renowned for. By giving studios like Polyphony Digital PS5 development kits now, we can almost certainly probably just about assure fans that they will receive a Gran Turismo game late in the PlayStation 5’s life cycle. If we waited till closer to the end of the PS4’s life to get development kits out we could not be confident that games like Horizon Two Dawn and Days Gone would be definitely maybe possibly be PS5 launch games.

At Sony we are dedicated to getting great games to players. That may happen today, or tomorrow, or more likely in a few months, or a year or two. But in getting PS5 kits to our first party studios, we hope to have an exciting line up ready to go sometime in 2023–2028, with only minimal delays for all games.

In the spirit of this announcement, Sony would also like to advise that Team Ico currently have the theoretical specs for the PlayStation 7. Their follow up to The Last Guardian is going to be beautiful and amazing.