The PlayStation 4–as well as its souped-up upgrade, the PS4 Pro–was the best-selling console of last year. Having been released just four years ago, its obvious the system is still very popular with fans, and is hot on the PS2’s heels for title of “best-selling console of all time.” So, of course Sony will plan on keeping it around for a few more years, right? According to a recent article from PlayStationLifeStyle.net, Sony may have other plans.
Due to the consistent updates on digital technology such as smartphones and tablets, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe President Jim Ryan doubts the PS4–or any other future console–will ever be able to get close to the 13-year lifespan the PS2 enjoyed.
In an interview during E3 2017, Ryan was asked if there would be further console upgrades such as the PS4 Pro or the Xbox One X. Ryan responded:
I think we’re only six months into PlayStation 4 Pro, and it’s too early to tell. The Xbox One X hasn’t launched yet. I don’t know if this is the way forward or not.
He did make it clear, though, that “the days of a 13-year PlayStation 2 cycle will almost certainly never repeat themselves.”
This could suggest that, though the PS4 only came out in 2013, may only be around for a year or two more, making it shorter than even the PS3’s life span. This could be a result of the PS4 Pro shortening the consoles life span, as President of Sony’s Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida predicted back in 2016.
Of course, this is all speculation until Sony officially announces the PlayStation 5. Hopefully, it doesn’t come so soon that the PS4 Pro becomes a wasted investment for those who paid for it.