The next generation of gaming consoles only in 2028?

In leaked court documents, Microsoft said the "expected launch date" for the next generation of consoles is 2028.

This means that we can expect the next generation of Xbox and PlayStation 6 consoles eight years after the release of Xbox Series X and S and PlayStation 5.

The news comes from documents that were made public as part of the massive Microsoft vs. FTC (US Federal Trade Commission) lawsuit that began recently.

Microsoft and the Xbox brand are in a hurry as company executives head to federal court to defend their proposed nearly $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard from the FTC.

The legal battle between Microsoft and the FTC began last December when the commission announced plans to block the company's $68.7 billion purchase of Call of Duty, Diablo and Candy Crush games. Last week, a federal court in California issued a temporary restraining order sought by the FTC, effectively blocking the deal between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard for now.

In the lawsuit, the FTC will try to issue a temporary injunction against Activision Blizzard's acquisition of the studios. If the injunction is successful, Microsoft and Activision Blizzard will be unable to complete the purchase while the FTC examines the deal's compliance with US antitrust laws.

In the published documents, Microsoft discussed the 10-year duration of its commitment to Sony to publish Call of Duty games on PlayStation platforms if the deal goes through.

“This timeframe would in any event extend beyond the expected launch date of the next-generation consoles (in 2028),” Microsoft said. “This will ensure that Call of Duty will be released on future PlayStation consoles, should they be released during the term of this agreement. The agreement will also ensure that Call of Duty console games will be available on PlayStation in the same way as they are on Xbox.” The 2028 release is consistent with a previous filing in which Sony said it did not expect the next-generation PlayStation to launch until at least 2027. In that filing, published in November last year, Sony argued that it expected to lose access to the Call of Duty franchise in 2027. Microsoft’s filing today contradicts that suggestion.

Microsoft has announced several agreements with rival gaming companies to convince regulators to approve its purchase of Activision Blizzard. For example, he signed a 10-year agreement with Nintendo to release Call of Duty for its consoles. However, they failed to conclude a similar contract with Sony, despite the fact that the proposal had already been prepared.

Sony's proposal envisages further distribution of all Activision games on the PlayStation platform in the same way as on the Xbox, Microsoft said. Microsoft sent a draft of that agreement in December, but Sony has so far refused to cooperate.

Sony has yet to announce plans for the PlayStation 6, and recently said it would not share those plans with Activision Blizzard if Microsoft's acquisition goes through. PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan told the FTC that he could not release "extremely sensitive" information about the next console to the company that owns the rival Xbox console.