Don’t the years go fast? It seems only yesterday that the PS5, the latest PlayStation model, hit the stores, but it’s actually coming up to four years ago. During that time, Sony has sold more than 50 million units, and last year outsold the Xbox Series X by 3 – 1. By every metric, it’s been a successful venture for the Japanese company, even though it’s likely to fall short of the 155 million PlayStation 2 consoles it sold back in the early 2000s.Though the PlayStation 5 has many years of life left, people are still beginning to look forward to what the next incarnation of the famous console may bring. Let’s take a look.What’s Known So FarThere aren’t too many details about the PlayStation 6 yet. However, it is known that Sony has begun work on the project. They were advertising for candidates to begin working on research and development for the PlayStation 6 back in 2021. If the lifecycle of previous models is anything to go by, that means the sixth incarnation of the model should arrive in around 2026.This would be a shorter time frame between models than in the past. For instance, there were nearly eight years between the release of the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5. The faster development time is perhaps due to the speed at which technological advancement occurs these days. While Sony might like to take as much time as they need, the fact is that with things progressing quickly, it’s in their interests to get a new model as quickly as they can.A New Digital LandscapeSony has long pushed themselves to be the world’s leading video game console producer, and that’s something that will continue with the release of the PS6. However, unlike in the past, when PlayStation only really had the Xbox as a competitor, the Japanese company will find itself in new territory when it comes to releasing the PlayStation 6. The gaming industry is vastly different to what it was even just a few years ago in 2020, when the PlayStation 5 was released. Mobile games have exploded in popularity, while there’s also been a spike in the popularity of retro-feel games, such as Jackpot 6000 and Sonic The Hedgehog 2. The increasing attendance of retro game conventions, such as Austin’s Classic Game Fest, indicates that gaming culture may be slightly moving away from big-budget gaming titles. As such, Sony will have to find a balance between innovation and cost-effectiveness, especially since the PlayStation, while selling well, has not sold as many units as the PlayStations 3 and 4.Anticipated PS6 FeaturesSince internal work on the PlayStation 6 has only just begun, there’s been no confirmation about its features. They probably won’t come for a number of years. This isn’t because Sony is being coy; it’s more the fact that they themselves won’t know which features the new model will include yet.Still, that hasn’t stopped people from guessing what the PlayStation 6 may bring, so let’s take a look at some of the speculation. Some of these are likely to feature because the technology exists, while others very much fall into the “would like to see” category. You can save this article and come back to it in a few years to check the accuracy of our predictions.Industry Leading PowerSony has long prided itself in offering the most advanced technology in the video game console industry, so this is pretty much a banker. Every incarnation of the PlayStation has brought a significant leap forward in capabilities, and it’s anyone’s guess as to what that will look like once the PlayStation 6 hits the market.You can expect that the CPU and GPU will be more powerful than ever before, resulting in rapid-quick load times and game transitions. For individuals who haven’t picked up a joypad since the halcyon days of the PlayStation 2, the capabilities of the PlayStation 6 may well be mind-blowing.New Visual HeightsWhat to expect from the graphics of the PlayStation 6? While far from confirmed, Sony employees have hinted the sixth PlayStation model will boast 8K resolution graphics, which would offer an unprecedented level of realism. To put that into context, the PlayStation 5, which has the best gaming graphics the world has seen to date, is capable of “only” 4K resolution. In other words, gamers can expect the gaming experience to be more lifelike than ever before.Virtual Reality CapabilitiesIt took a while for the dream of virtual reality gaming to become a reality, but the industry is slowly getting there. The past year alone has seen the arrival of some outstanding VR titles, most notably for the Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro. Sony themselves already has a VR headset, suitably named the PS VR Headset. By the time 2026 rolls around, you can expect that virtual reality gaming will be even further embedded in the gaming community, so don’t be surprised if Sony makes VR a formal part of the PlayStation 6 experience.Backward CapabilitiesAs we mentioned above, it’s likely that the gap between the PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 6 will be the shortest between two Sony consoles. As such, the company will aim to appease all the gamers who invested large sums of money into buying PS5 games by giving them the chance to continue playing those games on the new model. It’s also possible that all PlayStation games will be playable, and the console may even support cross-platform play, which would make it possible to play titles against friends regardless of the device they’re using.Goodbye Discs?Sony has slowly been phasing out the use of discs. While the PS5 did have a disk port, they also pushed buyers to invest in the PS5 Digital Edition, which does not have a disk port. By the time 2026 comes, they may decide that enough is enough and make the PlayStation gaming market entirely digital. It’ll be the end of an era, but it’s probably about time.
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