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Published Aug 17, 2026, 11:55 AM EDT
As the PS6's release date hangs in the air, Sony exec Hiroki Totoki declared that the company must 'take action'
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Whether the world needs a new PlayStation console is an open question, but Sony is planning another system either way. The big question for the Japanese entertainment company is when that release happens — and how to ensure customers aren't deterred by potentially high price tags for the PlayStation 6.
In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki discussed the company's strategy amid entertainment successes like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the uncertainty of the AI-driven component crisis. Some aspects of Sony's thinking will be obvious to PlayStation fans. Totoki mentioned, for example, that Sony sees franchises like God of War and The Last of Us as "flywheel" brands that can lend themselves to different categories of entertainment. Beyond the known TV adaptations of major Sony gaming franchises, the company leader teased anime adaptations as well.
Though the company has been doing well recently, the profits were propped up by temporary U.S. tariff rebates. The rising costs of components like memory chips, meanwhile, have pushed Sony to hike prices on PlayStation 5 consoles. But if Sony is struggling to keep costs low for old hardware, new hardware with more powerful components poses a Goliath-sized conundrum.
Still, Sony is planning on making a PlayStation 6. For a while now, rumors pointed to a potential 2027 or 2028 release date. As time goes on, those estimates seem more and more unlikely. Totoki told the WSJ that there is currently no fixed release date for Sony's next gaming console.
Acknowledging the impact that trade wars and a disrupted supply chain for computer chips are having on the company, the CEO told the WSJ that Sony needed to "take some action. Otherwise, we cannot survive in this landscape."
Though Totoki does not outright say it, this mentality may explain why Sony decided to cease the production of Blu-ray discs in 2028. The business strategy has proven unpopular for gaming fans who fear what an all-digital future may mean for both the PS5 and PS6. Concerns around things like game delistings or long-term ownership abound, with fans voicing their displeasure nearly every time Sony announces something new in the world of gaming.
Despite the protests, judging by how Totoki frames Sony as a company in crisis, chances of changing course seem slim. So while we may not have much of a sense of when the PS6 will arrive, two things seem safe to assume: The PS6 won't be cheap, and it's not going to have physical games. Bummer.
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