Coming late 2026?
Last week, Sony unveiled the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 Pro, expected to bring significant upgrades over the original PS5 released four years ago. Unfortunately, the reveal left many gamers disappointed, as the console showed minimal visual improvements and underwhelming frame-rate boosts.
Adding to the backlash, Sony announced that the PS5 Pro would be priced at $699 without a disc drive, with an additional cost of $79.99 for the optional disc add-on, pushing the total price to nearly $800 after taxes. In response to the criticism, Sony has now shifted focus by providing the first details on the PlayStation 6.
According to a report from Reuters, Sony has selected AMD over Intel to supply chips for the PS6, after negotiations with Intel fell through over profit-sharing disagreements with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Many believe that Sony’s decision to stick with AMD is also influenced by the need for backward compatibility with PS5 and PS4 games.
Meanwhile, Microsoft, which signed a $15 billion custom chip deal with Intel earlier this year, has faced development delays. While Intel’s 18A chip is under consideration for the next Xbox, there are rumors that Microsoft could develop its own custom chip.
Both next-gen consoles are expected to be released by the end of 2026, with announcements likely at next year’s Summer Game Fest.