Sony PS5, Microsoft Xbox Two release date, news & rumors: game consoles to arrive sooner than expected?

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Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are relatively new machines at two years old but rumors are circulating that their manufacturers are already developing the next models.

According to Geek, video game consoles are normally made available to the market for a period of ten 10 years. The consoles are deemed current for the first 5-7 years.

Then there is a transition period where new consoles are sold alongside the older models that they are replacing in the market. This goes on for a period of another 3-5 years, giving any generation a total of 10 years.

Given this calculation, the earliest we can expect a new console to be released is 2020. However, reports by iDigital Times indicate that the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Two may hit shelves as early as 2018.

A Value Walk report indicates that development of the new consoles may already be on the way. In the case of Sony, the company is already on the search for a senior game programmer.

There are several factors which are convincing Sony and Microsoft to push for earlier launches. One of these factors involves native resolution.

In a report by Tech Spot, the current gaming consoles are unable to support games that have 4K resolution. On the other hand, more and more television sets and mobile devices are being produced that can accommodate this screen resolution.

Sources have told Geek that AMD is developing APU chips that are five times faster than those currently built into the PS4 and Xbox One. Although there is no confirmation that Sony or Microsoft will continue to use AMD APUs, working with the chip maker has made it easier for developers to create games that would work for both systems.

Continuing to work with AMD indicates that both companies are considering making their new consoles backwards compatible. With using the x86 architecture, this means that games made for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will continue to work on the next console.

Watch how the current emulator is working for Sony's PlayStation 4.

Crossmap believes that the method of delivering games may change. Instead of simply buying discs, manufacturers may also opt streaming the games.

According to TechRadar, gamers will still be able to buy discs. Ben Wilson, former editor of Official PlayStation Magazine says, "There will always be those who prefer special editions and sexy packaging to invisible downloads, and it's those guys and girls who'll ensure disc drives live on within gaming in some form."