Following the rapid success of the Nintendo Switch 2—which sold over 3.5 million units in just four days—both Sony and Microsoft have begun dropping hints about their upcoming next-generation consoles. While Nintendo’s new release is dominating the current gaming conversation, PlayStation and Xbox appear to be gearing up to compete in the near future.
Sony’s PlayStation 6 is reportedly “top of mind,” according to Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hideaki Nishino. Speaking last week, Nishino emphasized that the company is focused on evolving how players engage with its content and services, though he stopped short of sharing specific details about hardware plans. Industry documents from 2022 had previously suggested that a new PlayStation console wouldn’t arrive before fall 2028, implying a wait of over three years. Given Sony’s previous silence on the matter, this timeline seems likely to hold, although the momentum from Nintendo’s Switch 2 could potentially influence Sony’s roadmap.
On the Xbox side, the company has been more forthcoming. Xbox president Sarah Bond recently announced a strategic partnership with AMD to co-develop chips that will power future Xbox devices, including the next generation of consoles. This collaboration aims to enhance player experience with advanced graphics, AI-powered gameplay, and continued compatibility with existing Xbox titles. Microsoft also plans to enable cross-device play, moving beyond a single device or storefront.
While earlier reports indicated that the next Xbox generation might not arrive until 2028, emerging rumors suggest a possible launch as soon as fall 2026. Observers note that Microsoft took roughly a year from the “Project Scarlett” announcement in June 2019 to the release of Xbox Series X in fall 2020, raising speculation that a similar timeline could apply to the next Xbox console.
As the gaming industry watches Nintendo’s current momentum, the coming months will likely bring more concrete information from Sony and Microsoft as they prepare their next-generation offerings.
