PS6
Image: Push Square

In a move that's sure to shake the Gaming Nation to its very core, Sony has basically confirmed that it has plans for a PS6. This shocking revelation comes courtesy of a report from Sony to the UK's competition regulators, in which the Japanese giant continues to outline why it thinks Microsoft's yet-to-be-closed acquisition of Activision Blizzard is bad for the industry.

In said report, Sony writes: "Microsoft has offered to continue making Activision’s games available on PlayStation only until 2027 [...] Likewise, in public comments just on October 26, Microsoft said that it plans to offer Call of Duty on PlayStation only 'as long as that makes sense.' A period until 2027 – or some other (possibly shorter) time that Microsoft unilaterally determines 'makes sense' to Microsoft – is badly inadequate." It's safe to say that the PlayStation-maker's stance is clear.

And then we get to the good part: "By the time SIE launched the next generation of its PlayStation console (which is likely to occur around [REDCATED], it would have lost access to Call of Duty and other Activision titles, making it extremely vulnerable to consumer switching and subsequent degradation in its competitiveness."

Sony is using the launch of its next console as a way to highlight the problem it has with Microsoft's looming deal. Assuming it all goes through, and Call of Duty does eventually pass up PlayStation platforms, the presumed PS6 could end up launching without one of the biggest properties in gaming. Sony, as you'd expect, does not want this to happen.

And so there you go, our first very tentative mention of the PS6, which will, taking this document at face value, release at some point after 2027. Sounds about right.

[source assets.publishing.service.gov.uk, via twitter.com]