Reports this year about the next-gen home console from Sony, dubbed the PlayStation 4, have indicated that Sony is still very invested in the PlayStation 3 and that the PlayStation 4 will probably be the last of the big next-gen consoles to release. Analyst Michael Patcher of Wedbush Securities, however, believes that the PlayStation 4 will release sometime in October or November 2013.
"I don't think Sony wants to launch behind Microsoft again, so I'm confident we'll see a PS4 in October or November 2013," Patcher told Play Magazine.
"It isn't likely that they will launch earlier, as it doesn't make sense to get out too far in front of software, and I'm pretty confident that few developers have been working on PS4 games for more than a year or so. Holiday 2013 will be a comfortable window for Sony, and will give them a chance to get a head start on Microsoft."
Microsoft is expected to reveal two next-gen Xbox consoles around E3 2013 - one casual, cheaper, entertainment-driven set-top box, and one dedicated gaming console that will be more of a true successor to the Xbox 360. The Xbox 720 should launch in fall 2013, according to most reports, and a PlayStation 4 launch around the same time would allow Sony to stay competitive and not lose initial sales to Microsoft.
Sony has made repeated comments in the past about continuing PlayStation 3 support well into 2015. The next-gen consoles are bound to cost a pretty penny, but price cuts on the PlayStation 3 can give gamers a cheaper option that still has games being developed for it.
"The PS3 probably has a solid three years left for sales, so it should make it comfortably to a 10-year life span," Patcher also said in the interview. "There are a lot of people who are uncomfortable spending $250 for a console, so I think price cuts to the $199, $149 and $99 will extend the life of a console."
You can pick up issue 225 of Play Magazine for more details.