Gaming

What is the PlayStation 5 release date?

PlayStation 5
New console: expect the PlayStation 5 by the end of 2019

We don’t know for sure and we’re not going to be one of those sites that pretends it does. But with Sony suggesting the PlayStation 4 is nearing the end of the road and by looking back at past release dates, we can make an educated guess.

Speaking at Sony’s corporate strategy meeting this week, the company’s Entertainment CEO John Kodera reportedly said that the PlayStation 4 was close to retirement.

If you look at the timeline of PlayStation releases over the years, we’re definitely entering the window for a console refresh (dates shown are European release dates):

Console Launch date Gap between consoles
 PlayStation  Sept 1995  N/A
 PlayStation 2  Nov 2000  5 yrs 2 mths
 PlayStation 3  Sep 2006  5 years 10 mths
 PlayStation 4  Nov 2013  7 years 2 mths

The average gap between console releases is around six years, and given that Sony always releases new consoles in the autumn to cash in on the lucrative Christmas market, we’d put our money on the PlayStation 5 being launched in autumn 2019. It certainly won’t be released this autumn, as games developers need a run-up to the launch of a new console and it would be public knowledge by now. Sony has already said there won’t be any new hardware announcements at this year’s E3 games show, where consoles are normally announced.

Does that mean you shouldn’t invest in a PlayStation 4 now? Not necessarily. The console’s down to around £250 now and new consoles always take a while to bed in. You’re probably going to get at least another two years of good use out of a PS4 if you bought one now, maybe even longer.

Now read this: How do I fix a PlayStation 4 corrupted data error?

About the author

Barry Collins

Barry has scribbled about tech for almost 20 years for The Sunday Times, PC Pro, WebUser, Which? and many others. He was once Deputy Editor of Mail Online and remains in therapy to this day. Email Barry at barry@bigtechquestion.com.

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