Details about an upcoming PlayStation console have surfaced in two job listings. The potential PlayStation 6 will likely come with a custom AMD processor peppered with RDNA features. In addition to possible SoC information, the job postings also give an indication of the PS6 release schedule.
While some will argue that it’s far too early to speculate about the PlayStation 6 (or even a PlayStation 5 Pro or PlayStation 5 Slim), the fact of the matter is that Sony is most likely already in the middle of the research – and development phase for the next PlayStation generation.
Two separate job postings certainly indicate that internal development is going on diligently and that additional employees are being sought for this. One of the job postings was looking for someone to “contribute to the identification and development of the technology portfolio of future PlayStation platforms”. In addition, the job advertisement (which has since been removed from the job board) also stated:
“As part of the Future Technology Group team, you will work with small, focused project teams exploring and prototyping innovative technologies and finding ways to apply them to our platform and services.”
PlayStation Job Listing Suggests PlayStation 6 Is In Research and Development!
“Contributing to identifying and developing the technology portfolio of future PlayStation platforms.”#PlayStation6 #PlayStation #PS6 pic.twitter.com/IpEH9dmnDy
— @Zuby_Tech (@Zuby_Tech) September 7, 2021
Understandably, with the PS5 still in short supply, many will be reluctant to believe that the PS6 may already be in the works. However, the PS4 was being worked on as early as 2008, five years before its release, while development on the PS5 apparently began in 2013, seven years before its release.
Considering the huge leaps in technology between console generations, increasing competition, the rapid pace of technological development, and a host of other factors and variables, it’s reasonable to assume that the PlayStation 6 could also take seven years to develop.
If Sony started work on the PS6 almost immediately after the PS5 launched, i.e. in November 2020, 2027 could be the year for the release, although it’s more likely that there will be a PS5 Pro or PS5 Slim before that will give.
The second vacancy is seeking a “System-on-Chip Verification Engineer” for AMD to be part of a team dedicated to a “next-generation chip development project”. Since the PlayStation, the Xbox and the RDNA are mentioned in the job posting, it is suspected that it could be working on AMD’s next SoC for future consoles from Sony and Microsoft.