PS6 Is Already Deep in Development, Backwards Compatibility of High Importance | Push Square

pushsquare.com:

Sony is already hard at work on the PS6, a Reuters article has revealed. The exclusive report delves into the story of Intel, and how it allegedly lost the contract to manufacture chips for the next-gen machine. Talks between the two tech giants purportedly took place in 2022, with AMD ultimately winning the lucrative deal.

While the article focuses heavily on the impact to Intel, it does reveal that backwards compatibility is of enormous importance to PlayStation: “Moving from AMD, which made the PS5 chip, to Intel would have risked backwards compatibility, which was a subject of discussion between Intel and Sony engineers and executives, the sources said.”

Pre-order from 26th September

Apparently, if Sony had selected Intel, it “would have been costly and taken engineering resources” to ensure backwards compatibility, making AMD a much more appropriate partner. PlayStation also disagreed with Intel on price, with the Californian company wanting to take a greater profit on each chip sold.

Discussions allegedly occurred over a period of months, and involved CEOs, dozens of engineers, and many other high-profile executives. In the end, Sony selected AMD to manufacture the chip for the PS6, which is now presumably deep in development. While the next-gen console’s currently unannounced, we’d expect it to be officially revealed in 2026 or 2027.

Last week, Sony revealed the PS5 Pro which is designed to expand the lifecycle of its current console by providing a more powerful option. While it features significant hardware improvements, including an advanced GPU and AI-powered upscaling technology, many haven’t been impressed with its $700 price point – prompting many to ponder how much the PS6 could cost at launch.

As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs