“PlayStation fans are loyal.” Sony’s CEO drew a clear line: the PS6 won’t be some oddball experiment, and cloud streaming is not replacing consoles. Hideaki Nishino, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, says the next PlayStation will remain traditional hardware—just the way fans want it.

Even as the gaming market transforms—with ongoing economic turmoil, digital sales overtaking physical ones, and subscription/cloud models on the rise—Sony has doubled down on what matters: the classic console. At a recent shareholder meeting, the Japanese company’s top brass gave a rare glimpse into their long-term PlayStation strategy, focusing squarely on their next-generation hardware. While Sony isn’t spilling details on the PlayStation 6 yet, their message is unambiguous: console evolution is central to their vision for the future.

During the meeting (as reported by VGC), Hideaki Nishino tackled the question of whether PlayStation’s future lies in hardware or the cloud. He acknowledged technical leaps in game streaming, but insisted that most players still prefer to run games locally. “Network stability isn’t always in our hands,” Nishino said. “And cloud gaming still costs more per playtime than the console model.”

Nishino also emphasized that consoles remain the key entry point to the PlayStation ecosystem—not subscriptions or PCs. Five years into the PS5 era, both the base and Pro models have proven that people want to play directly on their machines. Sony isn’t ruling out cloud gaming, but sees it only as an extra. “The cloud is simply an added option for players,” Nishino stated.

PS6 Won’t Get Weird—Sony Is Sticking to Its Console Roots

One major highlight: Sony confirmed that next-gen console development is an absolute top priority. While the PS6 isn’t expected before 2028, Nishino left no doubt: “The platform’s future is our highest priority,” and they’re seeking “new and better” ways for players to interact—without abandoning what makes PlayStation great.

Lynn Azar, SVP of Finance and Corporate Development, backed up this vision, noting that Sony has managed to smooth out the financial ups and downs that used to come with new console launches. She explained that subscriptions and microtransactions now account for over two-thirds of PlayStation revenue. This lets Sony maintain a “steady, predictable, and profitable” income base even when technology is shifting underfoot.

Azar finished by stressing that both PS5 and PS4 owners are as devoted as ever to the PlayStation brand, spending significantly per user. The strategy: give players different ways to access content, and adapt to how gamers actually want to play.

Source: 3djuegos