Sony has filed trademarks in Japan which indicate the company's eventual plans for a PlayStation 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Although Sony's latest upcoming console, the PlayStation 5, won't be released until Holiday Season 2020, it is beginning to look as if the Tokyo-based entertainment conglomerate is trying to make sure everyone knows they are going to be around for a long, long time.
Even while the company has been reportedly looking to sell off the PlayStation Vue streaming service, Sony is still building some serious anticipation about their upcoming console. From trying to make the PS5 backwards compatible with previous generations to the growing library of the PlayStation Now game streaming program, Sony seems determined to cement the company as a games-first platform even while new competitors like Google Stadia are trying to break into the race.
According to a report published by Gematsu, Sony Interactive Entertainment recently filed trademarks in Japan for "PS6, PS7, PS8, PS9, and PS10" separately. Although the company has a long history of filing for trademarks ahead of time, save for the original "PS" trademark which wasn't filed until six years after the first PlayStation's release, this is the first time Sony has applied for so many console title trademarks at once.
Since players still have a year until they get their hands on the upcoming PlayStation 5, it's unknown how long it may be before they see a PS6, let alone a PS9 or 10. PlayStation consoles have an average of six-to-seven years between releases, which would mean a theoretical PlayStation 10 could be playable some time in the early 2050's. By looking at how far video games have progressed since the original PlayStation's release in 1994, one can only imagine what a PlayStation 10 in the year 2052 would look and play like.
In 2006 Sony trademarked both the PS4 and the PS5, but they have never trademarked five consoles at the same time before. While this is not a definite confirmation all these consoles will indeed be created, it is surely proof Sony is willing to do so if the market permits. Currently the PlayStation 4 is known to be a quality console, and despite some arguments over what to call the X button players have seemingly gotten over the vitriolic "console wars" of previous generations. With the ever-growing addition of cross-play between different gaming platforms, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo now have to rely on quality exclusives and extra player incentives or, at the very least, unique experiences, in order to convince people to use their products, rather than pit them against each other. It's better this way.
Source: Gematsu