Rumors of the PlayStation 5 have already begun to hit the internet and Sony recently made it clear that PS4 is nearing the end of its days. While for many the nearly half-decade old machine is about ready to be replaced, others have just recently upgraded to PS4 Pro and are more than happy to see whatever is next take a couple more years. Head of PlayStation, John Kodera, recently stated that while the company expects solid sales numbers across 2018, PS4 has certainly entered the “end of its lifecycle.”
Now clearly, the PS boss simply stating that its flagship machine is ready to be replaced could have negative effect on the PlayStation brand, but apparently skyrocketing PlayStation Plus memberships are helping to even things out.
PlayStation 4 numbers are expected to drop from 19 million in 2017 to 16 million across 2018, according to Sony, which is likely why Kodera is classifying the machine as being at the tail end of its life cycle. Likely a smart move on Sony’s part, and considering the thing is nearly 5-years old now, those numbers still sound pretty good.
Since its launch back in 2013, Sony has sold more than 79 million units according to the latest numbers. That’s apparently just shy of the number PS3 put up having sold 80 million units by 2013.
Nonetheless, PS4 is looking like it will have another strong year and PS Plus certainly appears to be helping things along. The service has jumped up more than 10 million active users year-over-year with more than 80 million subscribers. At $60 (or less if you follow 9to5Toys) per year, it is easy to see why investors are happy with Sony’s in house gamers club program.
Personally, I am ready for a PS5 (or whatever it might be) announcement, but I wouldn’t mind if Sony held off until 2019 or 2020. With such an amazing list of titles scheduled for PS4 across 2018 and beyond, I’m not ready to drop another $400 or $500 on a console, I just want Ghost of Tsushima and the Last of Us Part II and I want them right now. The last rumors had PS5 already in development at Sony, which is certainly possible, but it is hard to say whether or not it will actually be a traditional next generation hardware console or not at this point.
Sony is scheduled for a major E3 2018 showcase this year in just a few weeks time, so it won’t be long before we get new footage on those games and more.
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