PlayStation 4 is entering the ‘final phase’ says Sony as it promises new games and teases PS5

AT A recent meeting with investors, the head of PlayStation said the PS4 was entering “the end of its life cycle” and hinted at a next-gen console.

SONY has sold 79 million PlayStation4s since the console launched in 2013, and is starting to prepare for the end of the road.

Gamers had snapped up around 80 million PS3s by the time that the PS4 hit shelves, and even with the launch of the upgraded PS4 Pro, Sony is seeing sales start to slide.

PlayStation boss John Kodera admitted as much when talking to investors earlier today alongside his boss, Sony head honcho Kenichiro Yoshida, reports The Sun.

Sony said it was going to be creating new exclusive game franchises, DLC for existing exclusives, expanding their Virtual Reality offering on PS4 and trying to increase the number of gamers signed up for PlayStation Plus, its premium online service that allows for most online gaming on the platform alongside a slate of free games every month.

Kodera did admit under questioning that the PS4 was entering “the end of its life cycle” and that Sony’s work for the time being is to manage that decline with additional services to help keep revenues stable as hardware income drops.

While neither Kodera or Yoshida mentioned the PS5 by name, it was clear that it is just over the horizon. The statements today were all about reassuring investors that there was a plan for the intervening period to keep revenues stable until new hardware was available.

Sony Confirms PlayStation 4 is Entering Final Stages of Life Cycle.

Rumors of Sony announcing and releasing details on the #Playstation5 for 2020.

November of 2018 will mark 5 years since the official release of the #Playstation4

Could this mean....a new generation is coming?

— Alex (@UnrealEntGaming) May 22, 2018

What is the ONE feature you would have for PS5 if you could?
For me it would be a way of being able to take my console games on the go, similar to switch. That would be a god send for me.

— Chris: Become Human🎮 (@CaptToadzz) May 21, 2018

Really the phrasing just indicates that there will be a PS5, rather than a neverending parade of upgraded PS4 models, which I think has been clear for some time. The PS4 Pro is fun, but it didn't set the world on fire.

— Mike Epstein (@bombur) May 22, 2018

#PS4 has just two holidays left #PS5

— Foxy Games UK™ (@foxygames_uk) May 22, 2018

I’m forecasting PS5 no earlier than fall 2020, which would mean at least 3 more holidays of big releases to enjoy on the platform, and a perfectly normal cycle length. Just because a next gen is mentioned is meaningless to the breadth and depth of content that is coming.

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) May 22, 2018

I can see ps5 announcement at E3 2019 and release in April 2020 with Horizon zero dawn 2 as a launch game .

— Truth : Become human (@123Hurts) May 22, 2018

The statement did offer some clues as to Sony’s priorities for the PS5. The firm clearly said that it wants to make people log into the firm’s online services more “by having more people use PlayStationVR, the cloud gaming service PlayStation Now, the video services PlayStation Vue and PlayStation Video, and PlayStation Music.”

That doesn’t mean they’re forgetting about games, though — the firm also wants to make its gaming business stronger by “creating and using IP for first-party titles”, and to harness “growth opportunities” in areas such as add-on content for games.

PlayStation will be expanding their Virtual Reality offering on PS4

The current plan, as it stands, runs until March 31, 2021. The plan includes $A11.8 billion investment in new hardware and about half that amount in new intellectual properties and acquiring new technology. Most of that hardware cash, though, is going to its image sensor business rather than gaming.

The PlayStation 4 was only announced eight months before it hit shops in 2013, while the PS3’s 2006 release (2007 in Europe) came almost 18 months after it was announced in 2005. So it’s anyone’s guess how far ahead of launch Sony is likely to reveal with PS5 — but today’s announcements definitely seem aimed at keeping Sony’s investors happy enough with the current trajectory that they aren’t forced into an early reveal.

This story first appeared on The Sun .

Originally published as PlayStation 4 is entering the ‘final phase’ says Sony as it promises new games and teases PS5