Sony confirms PS5 is entering the latter stages of its life cycle

Sony have revealed what the future looks like for the PlayStation 5, and it's fair to say the company's outlook isn't very optimistic.

The PS5 was released in November 2020, seven years after its predecessor, the PS4.

In its first year, the PS5 sold around 15 million units, beating the PS4's first year success.

However, the PS4 lasted seven years before its life cycle came to an end, while Sony have recently shared that the PS5 sales are winding down after just four - making it the shortest lifespan of any PlayStation console.

Confirming the news, Sony senior vice president Naomi Matsuoka said: “Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle.

"As such, we will put more emphasis on the balance between profitability and sales. For this reason, we expect the annual sales pace of PS5 hardware will start falling from the next fiscal year."

Natsuoka's comments come after Sony had initially hoped to sell 25 million units of the PS5 during the current financial year ending March 31, 2025, but the tech firm has since changed its ambitions to 21 million units instead.

Since it's release, the PS5 has sold just short of 55 million units.

CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

While the console is entering 'the latter stage of its life cycle', it was only a few months ago that a new version of the PS5 was released.

One of the most notable differences in the updated device was the ability for players to buy a disc drive add-on rather than being forced to make the gruelling decision on whether to purchase the digital or disc PS5 version.

“If you purchase the PS5 Digital Edition, you can add the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive for PS5 later, as it will also be sold separately,” Sony said in its press release at the time.

Another significant difference in the newer PS5 model was that its volume had been reduced by more than 30 per cent.

PlayStation

In regards to when the PlayStation 6 might be released, it was rumoured last year that the sixth edition console might come out in 2027.

Official Sony documents with the date were shared last summer during Microsoft’s then-pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

In the documents, it was claimed by Sony that Microsoft had 'offered to continue making Activision’s games available on PlayStation only until 2027' - potentially implying that it wanted to cut ties ahead of the PS6's release.

The merger was finalised in October 2023 for $68.7 billion after 21 months in what was hailed as one of the biggest deals of its kind.

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