Sony says PlayStation 4 is in 'final phase' of its life cycle

Horizon Zero Dawn gameplaySONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Sony's new CEO John Kodera has announced the PlayStation 4 era could be near an end.

Speaking at a company conference, he said the console, released in 2013, was in the "final phase" of its life cycle.

Don't expect the PS4 to stop production any time soon - but this could be a hint that a new, more powerful console is on the way.

Despite being hugely popular, there are signs of PS4 sales slowing down.

The announcement has hit some gamers hard.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post by Branstopher

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 2 by elisabeth

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

The PS4 is now five years old - and has been a massive success for Sony. But given the pace of technological change, the announcement wasn't as much as a shock for some.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 3 by 🚲 Sam Coles 🎮

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

More than 76 million PS4's have been sold since it was released - but last year, sales were down from 20 million units to 19 million.

But while console sales are down - people are buying more games.

That's one of the reasons Sony is thinking of releasing more games exclusively for PlayStation, including Last of Us: Part II and Spider-Man.

And for those holding out for a clue about a PS5 release date, there was this from Mr Kodera.

"We will use the next three years to prepare the next step, to crouch down so that we can jump higher in the future."

This could possibly mean the new console that gamers are waiting for could be released after 2021.

Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.

More on this story