PlayStation 4 fate confirmed as PS6 looms

As the PlayStation 6 looms over our heads, Sony has confirmed what will happen to the PS4.

Sony isn’t expected to launch the PS6 for at least a few more years, but that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating about the future of the PlayStation platform.

As with all new console generations, there’s a bit of a transitional period between gamers adopting the new hardware and leaving behind their old platforms.

Some people will want to keep around their old consoles, obviously, but a large portion of people will probably want to get rid of their PS5s in favour of the PS6 when the time comes.

If you’re in the group that prefers to hang onto their older consoles, Sony has at least provided some much needed relief by revealing the fate of the PS4 even after the PS6 launches.

With future console generations, Sony is keen to retain its PS4 players by adopting a new multi-generational ecosystem that supports PS4, PS5, and PS6.

“We're still exploring what the future of our platform will look like,” said Sony finance SVP Lynn Azar during the company’s annual corporate business strategy briefing in June.

“I'd like to re-emphasize that our financial profile as a business has evolved inline with our strategy. So we've reduced traditional cyclicality by establishing a large ecosystem of players across both the PS5 and PS4 generations, which provides recurring revenues.”

Azar continued: “PS5 represents the most engaged players with the highest spend per player versus prior generations. But our PS4 players are still active and spending as well.

“So by providing players with increasing options of how to access the platform, we're able to better target different play patterns and monetization profiles of different customer segments.

“As we continue to drive a multi-generational ecosystem into the future, we'll provide new ways for players to access the platform and experience our content and services.”

The PS6 is still years away from now, but you can rest easy knowing that your PS4 or PS5 consoles won’t suddenly go obsolete overnight.