Earlier this week as part of the CMA's investigation into Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, Sony's filing with the CMA arguing against the deal was published online for the world to see. In the document, we see Sony making a number of questionable arguments that we've already covered. In one section of the document, it seems Sony confirms when we'll see the next major PlayStation console.
In the document, there is a section where Sony discusses that Microsoft has only committed to keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation through 2027 (a commitment that has since been updated). Here, Sony argues that 2028 would be a particularly bad year for the company to lose access to Call of Duty, as this would be around the same time we see a new-gen PlayStation console.
Due to the transition from PS5 to PS6 around this time, Sony would be more prone to seeing console users switch to Xbox if Call of Duty is not available on PlayStation. This section of the document was pointed out by games industry analyst, Piers Harding-Rolls.
At this point, it is worth noting that while Sony's filing with CMA was published this week, it was submitted months ago, which is why some of the information is a little outdated. Microsoft has reportedly gone on to offer Sony a ten-year deal to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation through to the mid-2030s. Microsoft has also publicly stated that it wants to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation as a multiplatform franchise with no plans to change that. Microsoft made similar commitments when it acquired Minecraft in 2014 and now almost ten years later, Microsoft has stayed true to its word.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: Console generations typically last around seven years, so the idea that we'll see a PlayStation 6 in 2027 or 2028 isn't too surprising. Still, it is interesting to see Sony confirming it in a document available to read publicly. Typically, Sony likely wouldn't bring up the ‘next generation' this early in a console's lifecycle.