Some believe that gaming consoles could become history by 2020, but Sony might stave off the inevitable for a few more years with the PlayStation 5. 

The PlayStation 4 is just a few years old and based on the traditional lifespan of consoles, it still has a few good years left in it. But that hasn't stopped rumours from spreading that the PlayStation 5 is already being developed. 

The reason for the relatively shortened lifespan of the PlayStation 4 is due to the rise of 4K technology. Simply put, 4K is on the way to becoming mainstream and Sony's current console doesn't have the processing power needed to handle it. Virtual reality is also a burgeoning technology and major gaming companies and developers are embracing it. 

To that end, chip manufacturer AMD is allegedly already trying to entice Sony with promises of hardware that can easily give fans that vaunted 4K gaming experience. Sony does use customized AMD APUs that are founded on Jaguar microarchitecture and have used them with good results. But it doesn't necessarily mean that it would still be using AMD for the PlayStation 5, which is probably why the latter is already making its move now. 

According to a report by the Geek website, AMD is expected to offer Sony an APU with five times the power of its current offering. The new processing unit is also expected to be able to support virtual reality. And if AMD is indeed chosen to power the PlayStation 5, backwards compatibility will be one of the console's main selling points. 

The arrival of the PlayStation 5 seems to be inevitable now, especially if Sony plans to hold on to its dominance in the gaming industry. Despite keeping mum on the issue of the PlayStation, the Japanese multinational company has posted several job listings that have prompted gamers, and even sites like Value Walk, to believe that the PlayStation 5 is indeed in the pipeline now.  

It is not certain when the PlayStation 5 would be ready for release.