We asked AI to predict the PS6 release date – and four clues hint at PlayStation’s exact next-gen console launch day
ARTIFICIAL intelligence may have guessed the exact PlayStation 6 release date.
Sony is hard at work on the gaming console of the future, but details of the inevitable PS6 launch remain top-secret.
Now The U.S. Sun has probed one of the latest AI models to see if it could produce a best guess at when we’ll see the PS6.
We tried our luck with an AI chatbot powered by GPT-4o – just like ChatGPT.
PLAYSTATION RELEASE DATE HISTORY
First we had to have the AI chatbot analyze past Sony PlayStation launches.
Sony has turned out an enormous array of consoles over the years.
Here’s a list of PlayStation release dates, along with the days of the week that they launched on:
- PlayStation – Saturday, December 3, 1994 (1st Saturday)
- PS One – Friday, July 7, 2000 (1st Friday)
- PlayStation 2 – Saturday, March 4, 2000 (1st Saturday)
- PS2 Slimline – Friday, October 29, 2004 (5th Friday)
- PlayStation 3 – Saturday, November 11, 2006 (2nd Saturday)
- PS3 Slim – Thursday, August 27, 2009 (4th Thursday)
- PS3 Super Slim – Tuesday, September 25, 2012 (4th Tuesday)
- PlayStation 4 – Friday, November 15, 2013 (3rd Friday)
- PS4 Slim – Thursday, September 15, 2016 (3rd Thursday)
- PS4 Pro – Thursday, November 10, 2016 (2nd Thursday)
- PlayStation 5 – Thursday, November 12, 2020 (2nd Thursday)
- PS5 Slim – Friday, November 10, 2023 (2nd Friday)
We asked the AI to gobble up this information and see if it could work out any trends or patterns.
THE PS6 RELEASE DATE CLUES REVEALED
First, the AI noted that Sony tends to have a six- to seven-year gap between major console releases.
Just look at the dates for the main generations:
- 1994 – PlayStation
- 2000 – PlayStation 2
- 2006 – PlayStation 3
- 2013 – PlayStation 4
- 2020 – PlayStation 5
The AI noted that the last two of these gaps were each seven years.
So it guessed that we’d likely see that same trend followed, with a potential launch in 2027.
The second clue was the month, with the AI rightly pointing out that Sony has heavily favored November for its PlayStation launches.
This is especially true in recent years.
The third clue was that Sony tends to prefer Thursdays or Fridays, particularly for more recent launches.
Fourth on the list of clues was the week of the month.
The AI told us that Sony preferred the “second or third week of November.”
PS6 RELEASE DATE PREDICTION REVEALED
So when we asked the AI to weigh up all of the patterns it had spotted, here’s what it told us.
“Considering the trends and patterns, Thursday, November 11, 2027 seems more likely for a few reasons,” the AI chatbot told The U.S. Sun.
“Sony has shown a preference for Thursday releases in recent years, especially for significant product launches like the PlayStation 5.
“Releasing on a Thursday allows for a full weekend of sales and media coverage, maximizing initial impact and momentum.
“Thus, the most likely date for the next-generation PlayStation console release, based on observed patterns and strategic considerations, would be: Thursday, November 11, 2027.”
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a new artificial intelligence tool
ChatGPT, which was launched in November 2022, was created by San Francisco-based startup OpenAI, an AI research firm.
It’s part of a new generation of AI systems.
ChatGPT is a language model that can produce text.
It can converse, generate readable text on demand and produce images and video based on what has been learned from a vast database of digital books, online writings and other media.
ChatGPT essentially works like a written dialogue between the AI system and the person asking it questions
GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer and describes the type of model that can create AI-generated content.
If you prompt it, for example ask it to “write a short poem about flowers,” it will create a chunk of text based on that request.
ChatGPT can also hold conversations and even learn from things you’ve said.
It can handle very complicated prompts and is even being used by businesses to help with work.
But note that it might not always tell you the truth.
“ChatGPT is incredibly limited, but good enough at some things to create a misleading impression of greatness,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in 2022.
However, the chatbot did admit that the release date could also fall on Friday, November 12, 2027.
DID THE AI GET THE PS6 RELEASE DATE RIGHT?
Of course, it’s impossible to say right now whether the AI has answered correctly.
But is the date that the AI gave even likely? We’re pretty convinced by the answer.
It would fit in with Sony’s previous launch patterns and makes sense given the timing for the holidays.
Sony won’t want to leave a launch too late in the decade as gamers will be looking for what’s next.
And Sony is also competing with rivals like Xbox and Nintendo to make sure they have fresh hardware for gamers to enjoy.
Sony is also expected to launch a PS5 Pro later in 2024.
And if the PS4 Pro release is anything to go by, we’d expect a wait of three or four years for the PS6 to replace a PS5 Pro.
Sony PlayStation through the ages
Here's a quick history of the main models released...
Sony PlayStation:
- Japan – December 3, 1994
- North America – September 9, 1995
- Europe – September 29, 1995
Sony PlayStation 2:
- Japan – March 4, 2000
- North America – October 26, 2000
- Europe – November 24, 2000
Sony PlayStation 3:
- Japan – November 11, 2006
- North America – November 17, 2006
- Europe – March 23, 2007
Sony PlayStation 4:
- North America – November 15, 2013
- Europe – November 29, 2013
- Japan – February 22, 2014
Sony PlayStation 5:
- Japan – November 12, 2020
- North America – November 12, 2020
- Europe – November 12, 2020
Sadly, there’s every chance that the AI is totally wrong.
The AI is simply basing its guesses on historical launch information.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean Sony will stick to its old patterns.
Major gadget launches can be affected by processor technology, complicated supply chains, demand for shoppers, the state of the economy, and breakthroughs in graphics – and so much more.
For instance, it’s possible that the launch gets pushed back to 2028.
If that’s the case, the AI chatbot suggested the following possible dates:
- Thursday, November 9, 2028 (2nd Thursday of November)
- Friday, November 10, 2028 (2nd Friday of November)
- Thursday, November 16, 2028 (3rd Thursday of November)
- Friday, November 17, 2028 (3rd Friday of November)
And it said that Thursday, November 9 would be the most likely option for a 2028 release.