Macquarie Capital Securities analyst Damian Thong, who is apparently known for correctly predicting the launches of PlayStation 4 Pro and PS4 Slim, has said that he expects Sony to release its next-gen console in late 2018.
This little tidbit of info was mentioned in the Wall Street Journal’s coverage (via GameSpot) of Sony’s financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. In case you missed it, the company’s operating profit reached its highest level since 1998 and the report noted that PS4’s lifetime shipments have reached 60 million worldwide.
The WSJ report’s writer, Takashi Mochizuki, mentioned the part about Thong’s previous predictions separately on Twitter, where he said:

Analyst who correctly predicted PS4 Pro and Slim says next-generation PS would be released…https://t.co/mWTZzuRSSS ? Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj) April 28, 2017
Time will tell if the prediction is spot on this time or not.
In related news, Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad has shared the graph below that tracks PS4’s performance against its predecessors including PS2. He notes that PS4 will be ahead of PS2 in a year’s time if sales targets are achieved. However, he doesn’t think PS4 can topple PS2’s lifetime sales.

PS4 still tracking alongside PS2 when launch aligned.
Should be ahead of PS2 12 months from now too if targets are achieved. pic.twitter.com/IaojJanYRc
? Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) April 28, 2017
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