sony and Microsoft both launched their current-gen consoles, respectively the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, in November 2020and it seems that we will have to wait a few more years before seeing the next consoles of the two giants.
When are the next-next gen consoles
The CMA raised concerns about the impact the $68.7 billion deal could have on PlayStation’s ability to compete, given that the merger would allow Microsoft to take ownership of the Call series. of Duty.
“This impact is likely to be felt especially during the launch of the next generation of consoles, where players make new decisions about which console to buy,” according to the regulator.
Microsoft has told the UK regulator that the next generation of consoles won’t come out for several years and claimed that any impact of the deal with Activision was highly speculative.
“The parts [Microsoft et Activision] do not dispute that a portion of gamers are likely to re-evaluate their console ownership at the start of a new generation,” Microsoft’s report reads.[….] It’s an event that only happens every eight years or so. […] The next generation of consoles is not expected to release until Fall 2028 at the earliest.”
No Call of Duty on PS6?
Sony indicates that Microsoft has offered to keep Activision games on PlayStation until 2027 if the acquisition goes through. However, according to Sony, and if the launch schedule for the next consoles is confirmed, PS6 should launch without Call of Duty and other popular Activision games, which could entice people to switch to Xbox and thus make the market less competitive.
“At the time when SIE [ndlr : Sony Interactive Entertainment] will launch the next generation of its PlayStation console […] it will have lost access to Call of Duty and other Activision titles, which will leave it extremely vulnerable to consumer shifts and subsequent loss of competitiveness.”
Difficult for us to visualize the next consoles of the two giants while the stocks of current consoles are still fragile, always because of the problems of restocking of material related to COVID. Moreover, it is not impossible that Pro or Slim versions come to enlarge the park of Sony and Microsoft before the year 2028.