PlayStation 6 leak confirms its release is closer than you probably wanted

The next console generation is almost upon us. In fact, it’s almost here if you’re a Nintendo fan.

The seven-year-old Nintendo Switch will soon welcome a successor in the form of the aptly titled Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo finally unveiled the console last week after months of leaks and speculation.

This will be followed by a showcase to be held on 2 April that’ll presumably delve into the console’s features, specs, and launch software.

As for PlayStation and Xbox, it’s assumed that there’s still a couple of years to go before we’re ready to leave the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S behind.

Both Sony and Microsoft also often opt for six-to-seven year console cycles, but that would place the arrival of new consoles in 2027.

Of course, that’s not a definitive answer. It’s simply a guess based on the patterns of both companies who could drop consoles sooner or later than that.

When it comes to Sony, it could be sooner as the PlayStation 6 has reportedly already been designed.

ICYMI: Take a look at the reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 below.

As reported by TweakTown, NeoGAF forum user and leaker Kepler_L2 has made reference to the PlayStation 6, saying the console’s SoC is “design complete”.

SoC essentially means ‘System on a Chip’ so this is referencing what’s going inside the PlayStation 6 as opposed to its aesthetics.

The leaker went on to add that the console is in “pre-si validation already, with A0 tapeout scheduled for late this year".

Worry not, I’ll do my very best to translate that jargon too.

Pre-si, which stands for pre-silicon, refers to the process of testing and developing software for a device before physical components are readily available.

Essentially, this is saying that while there are supposedly no physical PlayStation 6’s in existence just yet, developers do have what they need to begin developing software for the console with a virtual platform that emulates the console’s eventual behaviour.

As for the “A0 tapeout scheduled for late this year”, this one’s a tad more complicated, but it’s essentially the last design phase before full manufacturing.

It’s the point at which the final design of, in this instance, a chip (most likely) is sent to the manufacturer.

The leaker also referenced AMD’s rumoured GPU for the console.

Formally known as RDNA 5, it’s now believed to be going by the name UDNA.

Of course, I must urge you to take all of this information with a generous pinch of salt, but it’s interesting intel to consider if you keep that in mind.

If the PlayStation 6 could feasibly enter manufacturing by the end of this year, then perhaps that 2027 window isn’t all that unrealistic.

I fear we’ve all got some savings to do.