Microsoft reportedly expects the next Xbox console and the PS6 to launch sometime in 2028, according to newly revealed court documents.
As IGN reports, Microsoft said during its first day in court with the FTC that the "expected starting period" for the next-generation of consoles to, well, start is 2028. If true, that would mean the current generation of consoles, which includes the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, is expected to last about eight years.
Today's hearing is the first in the US Federal Trade Commission's attempt to file a preliminary injunction against Microsoft and Activision, which would put the deal on pause while the FTC reviews its compliance with US antitrust law.
While the FTC lawsuit is undoubtedly the biggest hurdle Microsoft and Activision are currently facing, the road ahead is an uphill climb in other ways as well. For example, the UK formally blocked the transaction back in April, with Microsoft and Activision expected to appeal the decision. Meanwhile, the EU approved the purchase in May, marking a significant but far from final victory for the two companies hoping to see the deal reach completion by the end of this month.
Meanwhile, Sony has said it would withhold information about the PS6 from Activision if the Microsoft buyout winds up going through. That would obviously mean that features unique to the next PlayStation would likely not be as thoroughly incorporated into Activision games as they would be with publishers not owned by the console maker's main competitor.
Check out our new games 2023 guide for everything on the horizon for PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
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