Your PS5 is already in the “latter stages of life”, says Sony

The PlayStation 5 may already be on the way out as Sony describes the powerful current-gen console as being “in the latter stage of its life cycle. Just four years into release, is the PS5 already being phased out?

In a recent financials call, Sony didn’t reveal any plans for the PlayStation 6 that are in the works, but did reveal that the PS5’s sales numbers are expected to drop. Furthermore, the system won’t be receiving any major franchise games in the next 12 months.

PlayStation explained that sales of the console will “gradually decline” as the console enters its final years. While units are expected to decrease in sales, the losses can be offset by software sales of the now more-expensive PlayStation Plus and new games.

Sony president, COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki explained: “Regarding PS5 hardware, which will enter its fifth year since launch. Partially due to entering the latter half of the console cycle, we’re aiming to optimise sales with a greater emphasis on balance with profits. So we expect a gradual decline in unit sales from next fiscal year onwards.”

Sony also revealed that the number of active monthly PlayStation Plus users has reached a staggering 123 million, increasing by 11 million in the last year. With the recently increased prices of the online service, Sony's online membership is bringing is a healthy amount of profit.

Nevertheless, the idea of the PS5 already being in the late stages of life is unnerving. While it’s true that the console has been around for a fair number of years, most of its life cycle has been spent on cross-gen titles across PlayStation 4 and 5. For example, two huge Sony exclusives, God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon: Forbidden West, both released on the older machine.

For many, it feels like the PS5 generation has only just started, and there’s a lot of power still left untapped. With the console also more expensive at launch compared to its last-gen predecessor, the thought of the console already being made redundant won’t go down well with fans.