PlayStation 5 release date rumors: 2018 might be too early for PS4 Pro successor

Rumors about the PlayStation 5 have been going around for years. Gamers and tech enthusiasts expect that Sony will soon release the next generation of PlayStation home console, although the expectations have subsided after the announcement of the PlayStation 4 Pro. As of now, there are no clear indicators that the PS5 is coming, although it appears that Sony will not reveal the next-generation console in 2018.

According to Forbes, there are predictions coming from tech leakers regarding the release of PlayStation 5. A tech analyst from Macquarie Capital Securities, Damian Thong, said that Sony could launch the PlayStation 5 in the second half of 2018. On the other hand, Wedbush Securities tech analyst Michael Pachter predicted that the PS5 will not make it to 2018 but will instead be out in 2019.

PlayStation 4 Pro, the updated version of the original PS4 consoleReuters/Brendan McDermid

The online publication gives more weight on the 2019 release date prediction of the PlayStation 5, saying that Sony may not be able to work on a next-generation console with the current state of the market. Most of all, Sony has no issues with the current PlayStation 4, considering its satisfying performance in the market compared to its rivals like the Nintendo Wii U and Microsoft's Xbox One.

Some companies tend to cut the lifespan of their current product and go on with the next generation, similar to what Nintendo did with Wii U as it failed to perform well in terms of sales. For now, Sony has not yet encountered such problem with the PlayStation 4, thus there is no reason for the PlayStation 5 to come out of the box.

Most of all, Sony launched the PS4 Pro just last year, thus leaving no room for further console innovations in PlayStation 5. It is possible that Sony will need more years before the successor of the PS4 is born.

Sony has no official announcement yet about the PlayStation 5.