Layden calls for a $300 PlayStation 5 instead of a $1,200 PS6

Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden said on The Trophy Room podcast on Nov. 5, 2026, that Sony should prioritize making another PlayStation 5 priced around $300 instead of building a PlayStation 6 priced at $1,200, calling the cheaper console true innovation.

Layden said past console generations usually brought obvious new qualities while simply adding ray tracing and teraflops may not suit the next PlayStation. He said the current PlayStation hardware already holds enough power to build the games players want. On the same podcast, he said the silicon and operating system are fine and that no additional power is needed for the kinds of games everyone wants to play.

He argued Sony should not iterate the console but should instead make it smaller and cheaper because the silicon and operating system are sufficient. He added that if he were in Sony’s position, he would try to find a way to lower the cost of the PS5 rather than chase a more expensive future.

He also said previous hardware leaps typically offered clearly identifiable innovative qualities from one generation to the next. He argued that simply adding more ray tracing and more teraflops may not be the best direction for the PS6, a view that supports his argument that innovation should come from cost reduction rather than raw power increases.

He said the next PlayStation does not require a large increase in power. This point came during the same Trophy Room podcast interview where he discussed Bloodborne rights, and Sony has not confirmed a PS6 release date.

The PS5 launched in 2020 with a disc-drive model at $499 and a Digital Edition at $399, prices IGN described as relatively fair at the time and that now look like a steal after several recent price increases. Buying a base PlayStation 5 directly from PlayStation now costs $649, the Digital Edition costs $599, and the PS5 Pro costs $899. The Pro price represents a $200 increase from its reveal price, and IGN said retailer prices such as GameStop make the situation worse.

Sony blamed continued pressures in the global economic landscape for the price increases. Layden said the PS5 is the first platform he has seen that went up in price over time, noting that the PS2 cost $99 at the end of its era.

He contrasted that trend with the older console’s lower end-of-life price to argue the current trajectory is unusual. Sales of consoles from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are suffering, and many players say they do not want a PS6 announced until hardware prices come down, even though the release timeline suggests the next PlayStation is due soon.

IGN noted that the raw console release timeline puts the next PlayStation about due, but player sentiment favors waiting for lower prices. Layden said Sony should seek a cheaper path rooted in the past rather than pursuing a likely more expensive future console.

PlayStation is facing backlash over its decision to remove physical discs, and that backlash is part of the current environment as Sony considers its next hardware steps. In May, Sony said it had not yet decided when to launch its next console. This came as the company weighed timing amid price concerns and sales pressure.

A report from February stated Sony was considering pushing its next console to 2028 or even 2029, following previous expectations of a 2027 launch. IGN said the company had previously been targeting 2027 before reports suggested a later window.

Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki said the company has not agreed on an internal release date for the PS6 and cited trade wars and AI companies disrupting the supply chain. The report said this lack of agreement leaves the PS6 launch window uncertain among 2027, 2028, and 2029.

Next-generation plans remain uncertain alongside the Bloodborne situation because Sony has not confirmed a PS6 release date. ShiftDelete.Net framed Layden’s comments as an informed perspective rather than an official company update because he left Sony in 2019.

"The innovation needs to come not from making PS6 for $1,200. It's to make another PS5 for $300," he added.

Shawn Layden, IGN

One leaker said the PS6’s memory and storage alone might cost up to $680, while the console’s final price remains unknown. IGN said an October patent suggested Sony may be exploring its own take on frame generation, but the final PS6 price is still a mystery and the future does not look particularly bright.

Shuhei Yoshida, who left PlayStation in 2025 after formerly leading Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, said Sony and Nintendo have sold enough current-generation hardware. He made the remark in a Vergecast interview with The Verge on Sept. 29, 2026, while discussing cost-of-goods pressures and whether the next generation should be delayed.

"Sony and Nintendo have sold enough current-generation hardware, right?" said Yoshida.

Shuhei Yoshida, ComicBook.com

Yoshida said cost of goods might push back the next-generation launch and that PlayStation should extend the current generation for as long as feasible. He said people have finite budgets and that components specific to consoles and PCs have risen in price more than other entertainment, so owners of PS5, Switch 2, and capable PCs may not replace them soon.

He said he does not think players or developers are demanding stronger hardware, and predicted PlayStation and Nintendo will do well for many years. He added that Xbox is trying to change the competitive landscape but that doing so will be hard.

Console cycles lasting seven years are relatively normal in the modern day, and historical precedent has pointed to a 2027 or 2028 PS6 release. Rumors point to a 2027 PS6 launch, while other reports allege 2028 or 2029, and some history suggests a seven-year gap between consoles. ComicBook.com said repeated official price hikes driven by economic forces make that seven-year precedent harder to take seriously. Hardware prices have risen over the last few years because companies bought up electronic components for AI infrastructure.

This price pressure is one reason some want PlayStation to push the PS6 launch deeper into the future.