PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S still have several years of life ahead, but it's a fact that Sony and Microsoft have been working on their next-generation consoles for some time now. The first details about PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox are gradually emerging thanks to leaks and various reports.
What will the new hardware offer? How powerful will it be? What technology will power it? What will its price be? When will it be revealed? When will it hit the stores? Will it completely abandon physical format? Below, we answer these and other questions.
The first clues of the new generation
The first reports about PlayStation 6 and the new Xbox emerged in May 2022 when a job opening at AMD suggested that the chip for the next-generation consoles was already in development. Since then, information about what Sony and Microsoft's hardware will offer has been continuously emerging.
While there's much speculation surrounding it, part of the data comes from significant leaks, such as those from Xbox in the case of Activision Blizzard. Additionally, various technology-focused sources have discussed the topic and revealed quite striking data.
It goes without saying that Sony and Microsoft will be betting on cutting-edge technology to power their new systems. We know that artificial intelligence and the cloud will play a significant role in the next generation of consoles. It is said that they will be the pillars of both companies' strategies, and in fact, there is already information available on the matter.
What technologies will power PS6 and the next Xbox?
Let's start with the PlayStation 6. Various reports agree that Sony's new console will be powered by a chip from AMD. Supposedly, the Japanese company is working with the tech giant to use a set of custom chips, which are already present in products unrelated to video games.
While technical specifications have not been revealed, it is said that Sony wants the PlayStation 6 to leverage Ray Reconstruction or ray tracing technology, associated with ray tracing and scaling tools through artificial intelligence, such as Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS).
What is it for? In general terms, it improves aspects like lighting and reflections in ray tracing in games. The most notable thing is that it significantly reduces its performance cost. For this reason, PlayStation 6 titles could be visual powerhouses without sacrificing performance.
Likewise, it is said that the console will bet on Path Tracing, a rendering technique that simulates the behavior of light. It is mainly used for creating photorealistic 3D images. Sources assure that the technology will take its first steps with minimal implementation on consoles. It would only be used in some PlayStation 6 games, and its use will gradually expand, as has happened with ray tracing.
Some reports claim that Sony is working on its own artificial intelligence scaling technology. It would be similar to the aforementioned Nvidia DLSS and AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution. With this tool, it would scale the resolution of games and could run them at high resolutions and frame rates without affecting performance. Sources like Jeff Grubb, journalist and Giant Bomb insider, affirm that this technology will initially be tested on the rumored PlayStation 5 Pro.
What about the next Xbox? Thanks to leaks that came to light due to the acquisition of Activision Blizzard, we know that Microsoft will focus on the cloud for its next-generation console. Actually, we have to talk in the plural, as it is said that the company is working on 2 systems.
The first of these would be a conventional console like Xbox Series X|S. The big differentiator is that the new system would be based on an infrastructure with local and cloud environments. This way, it would be possible to scale games from native hardware, overcome their barriers, and enhance them through Azure.
Microsoft has already conducted some experiments with this cloud application. One of the most prominent examples is Microsoft Flight Simulator, which offers such an ambitious experience thanks to Bing Maps, Azure PlayFab, and more platforms. This hardware could be the true beginning of a plan that Xbox started in 2022: creating cloud-native games that are exclusive to its ecosystem and services.
On the other hand, Xbox seems to have been flirting with the idea of a handheld for a while now. Reports claim that the company is preparing a handheld PC similar to Steam Deck, with Nintendo Switch's hybrid concept. The goal would be to offer the possibility of enjoying games natively and through the cloud.
The device would have a base, integrated controls, and a touch screen. It is said that the Surface team is in charge of this project and is also collaborating in the development of the desktop console. Lastly, it is worth mentioning that Microsoft has made million-dollar investments in artificial intelligence in recent months.
For this reason, it is almost certain that technology will be fundamental for its upcoming consoles and games.
Will PS6 and the next Xbox be very powerful?
Now let's talk about power and technical details. Here we are still on shaky ground, as there are very few confirmed details and much speculation. Despite this, there are some details worth noting.
According to technology experts, Sony wants PlayStation 6 to be the most powerful console of the next generation. To achieve this, it would use a set of AMD chips and a large cache, so that studios have no issues with the console's CPU, GPU, and memory, which could be GDDR7.
Sources agree that there is nothing defined regarding the console's CPU and GPU, as Sony is probably still experimenting with various configurations. For now, there are no more technical details about the system.
Everything indicates that Xbox doesn't want to fall behind in technical aspects and power. Recently, Sarah Bond, the company's president, confirmed that they are already working on their next-generation hardware and that it will be the "biggest technical leap".
When will PS6 and the new Xbox debut?
Don't worry if you've just got a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X|S, as their life cycle will last for several more years. Thanks also to documents revealed by the Activision Blizzard acquisition, we know that there are at least 4 years left before the start of a new generation.
Sony stated that when it launches its next console, it won't have access to all Activision games anymore, as there is a contract signed until 2027. This suggests that PlayStation 6 will arrive later.
Xbox's plans seem to be similar, as in other documents, Microsoft revealed that it expects the new generation of consoles to arrive by 2028. A report suggested that Microsoft was preparing its new hardware for 2026, but the information was debunked.
Various sources agree that 2028 will be the chosen year by both companies for the release of their products. So, you still have several years to enjoy your current console and start saving up.
When will the hardware be revealed?
Companies usually reveal their new hardware several months before the launch. PlayStation 5 was unveiled in June 2020 and was released in November of the same year. On the other hand, Xbox Series X was revealed in December 2019 and debuted in November 2020.
If we consider that the release window for PlayStation 6 and the new Xbox hardware is 2028, it is likely that Sony and Microsoft will reveal their next systems that same year or in 2027.
Sony will probably repeat its strategy and unveil PlayStation 6 at a special event focused solely on system presentations and games. Xbox could surprise again and talk about its next hardware at a significant event, much like Xbox Series X did at The Game Awards.
How much will the next-generation consoles cost?
Inflation and the industry crisis hit Sony and Microsoft a while ago. This led to the price increase of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X after the generation had already begun. Because of this, players are concerned about the price of the companies' next consoles.
The outlook is not positive, as insiders assure that technology companies will increasingly struggle to maximize their profits throughout the life cycle of their new hardware.
For this reason, companies will have to choose between offering systems with little additional performance or delivering power at a high cost. Currently, there is no approximate price range, but undoubtedly everyone hopes that the companies will find a good balance between features and price for PlayStation 6 and the new Xbox devices.
Given that current consoles are around $400 and $500 USD, it is not ruled out that they will step up to $600 USD. Especially if production costs continue to rise and there are supply chain issues in the most important regions in the future.
What about games for PS6 and the next Xbox?
It's too early to talk about games for the next generation of consoles. However, there are several rumors about PlayStation 6 and its first titles. We know that The Last of Us: Part III is already in development.
Its general concept was defined only in 2023, so there are several years of development ahead. Because of this, many players believe it could be one of the first exclusive games for PlayStation 6 or be an intergenerational release.
At the beginning of the year, a report emerged that excited fans of Bloodborne and FromSoftware, as it is said that the PS4 game could have a remake for PlayStation 6. The project is currently in its planning stage and would be handled by Bluepoint Games.
Regarding confirmed titles, we know that Hideo Kojima is working on Physint, a spy game that will be a sort of spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid. The new IP was described as a next-generation action game and will be possible thanks to a partnership with Sony. So we could be looking at one of the first confirmed titles for PlayStation 6.
On the other hand, it is not unreasonable to think that several games of this generation will have ports to take advantage of the potential of the next consoles. One of the most obvious ones is, undoubtedly, Grand Theft Auto VI.
PlayStation and Xbox have a wide variety of franchises that, most likely, by 2028will be even bigger. Like in past generations, it is expected that both companies will invest in significant first-party and third-party titles for the launch of their systems.
Will PS6 and the next Xbox be backward compatible?
The features that the upcoming consoles will offer are still a mystery; however, the current strategies of Sony and Microsoft allow us to theorize about what PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox hardware will offer.
Whenever a new console is released, the topic of backward compatibility is brought up. PS5 is backward compatible with PS4 and offers games from past generations through PlayStation Plus. Ideally, PlayStation 6 would take this to a new level and be the console where all the brand's legacy finally comes together.
This could be achieved through a larger digital catalog, which would strengthen the subscription service and the compatibility of classic games, as it currently leaves much to be desired in terms of the catalog. It could also be achieved through hardware backward compatibility, which has been the dream of many players since PS4.
In this regard, Sony has much to learn from Microsoft, as backward compatibility is one of the pillars of the Xbox ecosystem. It is almost guaranteed that the function will continue to be present in its next generation of hardware and will connect all its generations so far, including Xbox Series X|S.
In this aspect, Xbox can only improve thanks to technologies like the cloud and artificial intelligence. It could use them to enhance its backward compatibility program as never before and even further improve the titles that already have support on its consoles.
How much storage will PS6 and the new Xbox have?
Console storage space has become one of the modern gaming problems. The most ambitious current titles easily exceed 120 GB of space, so the storage of the systems of both brands is already insufficient today.
Sony and Microsoft have provided alternatives to players, such as the possibility of using external SSDs and expansion cards offering up to 2 TB on Xbox Series X|S and up to 8 TB on PS5.
Because games are getting heavier, it is expected that PlayStation 6 and the new Xbox will offer at least 2 TB of storage at launch. Likewise, it is very likely that they will have expansion options like the current ones.
Will PS6 and the next Xbox stick to physical format?
Little by little, we see PlayStation and Xbox moving further away from the physical format. For this reason, one of the biggest questions is whether PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox will include a disc drive.
Currently, Sony already offers the PS5 Slim without an optical drive, but it can be purchased separately. On the other hand, it is said that Xbox is preparing a completely digital Xbox Series X. So, there is a clear trend that the next-generation consoles may follow.
It is not ruled out that PlayStation 6 and the new Xbox will be entirely digital consoles or will have various models that encompass both distribution formats.
Comments
Best
New