The next console generation--including the PS6 and the new Xbox system--may start in 2028. This is according to court documents from the ongoing legal battle between Microsoft and the United States Federal Trade Commission regarding the massive $68.7 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition.

The document, as reviewed by IGN, lines up with a previous statement made by Sony in 2022, indicating that the next console generation won't start until at least 2027. As part of the legal battle, Microsoft made a statement concerning Call of Duty's presence on PlayStation platforms, which--should the deal go through--is meant to last until 2028, alongside the expected release window of the new consoles.

"This term would, in any case, go beyond the expected starting period of the next generation of consoles (in 2028),” reads a statement from Microsoft. "Thus, Call of Duty will be published on successor PlayStation consoles should one be released during the term of the agreement. The agreement also would ensure that Call of Duty console games are offered on PlayStation at parity with Xbox."