Sony's Surprise Decision to End PlayStation Discs by Jan 2028 Hints at PS6's Design and Release Date, Analysts Say

As the gaming community processes Sony's unexpected move to eliminate physical game discs from PlayStation consoles starting January 2028, analysts believe this decision reveals key details about the PS6—including its release timeline.

Sony hasn't officially announced the PS6, but it has discussed next-gen hardware plans multiple times. So we know a new console is coming, but when exactly?

Piers Harding-Rolls, a games industry analyst at Ampere, tweeted that the January 2028 cutoff for disc-based PlayStation games “almost certainly guarantees” that the PS6 won't launch before 2028. In fact, Harding-Rolls expects the PS6 to arrive at the end of 2028.

Sony's announcement also suggests that the standard PS6 model will lack a physical disc drive, at minimum, according to Harding-Rolls. Removing the disc drive could lower production costs amid the ongoing memory price surge driven by the AI boom.

But could the PS6 be something entirely unexpected? Last month, Sony hinted that its next-gen console could function like the Nintendo Switch, offering “a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room.”

This comment came from a recent Q&A with Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Hideaki Nishino, published in English by Sony. When asked how Sony would win back players lost to PC gaming during COVID lockdowns and make significant changes with the next-generation platform, Nishino responded by noting Sony's efforts to change the perception that “PlayStation equals the living room” through the release of monitors and speakers typically used with PC setups.

“PlayStation has long been strongly associated with the idea of playing in the living room,” Nishino said. “However, in recent years, more users globally have been using personal monitors. In response, we are selling peripherals such as monitors and speakers to break away from the fixed perception that ‘PlayStation equals the living room’ and to broaden usage scenarios.”

He then discussed Sony's next-generation platform without naming it or providing specifics. “For the next-generation platform, rather than simply serving as an alternative to PCs, we aim to deliver value that is unique to PlayStation,” he said. “This includes not only technological advancements but also an expansion of usage styles, enabling a seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room.”

That last part has sparked speculation about a potential PlayStation hybrid console similar to the Nintendo Switch. A console offering a “seamless experience that can be enjoyed naturally beyond the living room” sounds like it could be portable, like the Switch. But what form might it take?

Several possibilities exist. Sony is heavily rumored to be working on a dedicated PS6 handheld. Could this double as a PS6 console/controller hybrid that docks like the Switch? Or perhaps Sony is developing a PS6 that's essentially a next-gen PlayStation Portal, which Nishino said has seen strong sales.

Either way, Nishino pointed to cloud gaming as a potential solution to the memory price crisis. “With regard to cloud gaming, our priority since our service launch in 2013 has been to ensure a high-quality user experience from the first time they use the service, as performance is highly dependent on network conditions and poor quality can quickly erode trust,” he explained.

“For this reason, we designed PS Portal as a dedicated device to reliably deliver the PlayStation gaming experience, which is predicated on controller-based gameplay and a large screen. Because it is difficult to provide a sufficiently high-quality experience through smartphone touch controls or a PC’s keyboard and mouse, our cloud strategy is not to rapidly expand to smartphones and PCs, but rather to focus on environments where quality can be assured.

“While we do not disclose unit sales figures, PS Portal has seen strong demand across North America, Europe, and Japan, with servers reaching full capacity during the latest holiday season. Cloud streaming also requires minimal memory, making it an increasingly attractive low-cost thin client device in the current market environment where memory prices are rising. Looking ahead, we aim to expand cloud gaming experience while maintaining the quality cultivated to date.”

Microsoft has promised an ultra-powerful next-gen console with Project Helix, which will also play PC games, but it may have similar plans for multiple options. Earlier this month, Xbox boss Asha Sharma said the rising cost of new and existing consoles would require “radically different business models” in the coming generation.